language

Question 1

language

Answer 1

• spoken, written, or signed words in combination
• used to transmit knowledge
• connects us
• more efficient than evolution in terms of knowledge gathering

Question 2

phonemes

Answer 2

basic sound units

Question 3

morphemes

Answer 3

smallest block of meaningful information that is not a word (ex. -ing)

Question 4

grammar

Answer 4

syntax and semantics

Question 5

syntax

Answer 5

• logically structuring our sentences
• structure holds meaning

Question 6

semantics

Answer 6

• we apply meaning to our words
• ex. someone died: “how are you feeling?” -> semantic: “I care about you”

Question 7

receptive language

Answer 7

• can receive language -> develops first (essentially from birth)
• 7 months -> can differentiate between phonemes

Question 8

productive language

Answer 8

• produce language
• first words around 12 months
• sentences that make sense after 2 years

Question 9

broca’s area

Answer 9

- speech production
- if damaged: can understand but can’t produce
- left hemisphere

Question 10

wernicke’s area

Answer 10

• speech comprehension
• damage: speech coming out but is nonsense
• left hemisphere

Question 11

fluent aphasia

Answer 11

• words come out easily
• receptive (wernicke’s aphasia)
• cannot comprehend language

Question 12

non-fluent aphasia

Answer 12

• can’t speak or speech is very broken
• expressive (broca’s aphasia): have trouble expressing what they want to say

Question 13

alexia

Answer 13

problems reading

Question 14

agraphia

Answer 14

problems writing

Question 15

whorf’s linguistic determinism hypothesis

Answer 15

• our thoughts shape our language
• language can also shape our thoughts

Question 16

language and thought

Answer 16

• expanding language expands ability to think
• “bilingual advantage” on cognitive tasks -> better at tuning out useless stimuli