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Related Concept Videos

Language Development01:22

Language Development

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Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
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Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

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Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
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Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language01:10

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Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
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Language01:16

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Language is a unique communication system that uses words and systematic rules to organize and transmit information. Unlike other forms of communication, which may involve postures, movements, odors, or vocalizations, language relies on symbols and grammar. This makes human communication distinct from that of other species, who also communicate but do not use language in the same way humans do.
Corballis and Suddendorf (2007) and Tomasello and Rakoczy (2003) highlight the role of language in...
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Components of Language01:24

Components of Language

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Language, whether spoken, signed, or written, consists of specific components: lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, comprising its words. Grammar is the set of rules used to convey meaning through the lexicon. For example, English grammar adds “-ed” to most verbs to indicate past tense. Words are formed by combining phonemes, which are the basic sound units of a language. Different languages have different sets of phonemes (e.g., “ah” vs.
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Lateralization01:28

Lateralization

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Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.
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Breaking Into Language in a New Modality: The Role of Input and Individual Differences in Recognising Signs.

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  • 1Department of Psychology and Human Development, Institute of Education, University College London, London, United Kingdom.

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Area of Science:

  • Psycholinguistics
  • Cognitive Science
  • Linguistics

Background:

  • Extracting linguistic information from continuous speech is a challenge in naturalistic language acquisition.
  • Implicit language learning mechanisms in adults are not fully understood, especially across different modalities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate predictors of implicit language learning in adults exposed to a new modality: sign language.
  • To determine if sign frequency and iconicity influence the recognition of signs in novel sign language exposure.

Main Methods:

  • Adult participants (N=93) with no prior sign language experience viewed a 4-minute Swedish Sign Language weather forecast.
  • Recognition of viewed target signs was tested against unviewed distractor signs.
  • Target signs varied in frequency and iconicity within the presented forecast.

Main Results:

  • Both higher sign frequency and greater iconicity significantly and cumulatively enhanced the recognition of target signs.
  • Individual differences in cognitive skills and prior language learning background did not predict sign recognition.
  • Input properties (frequency, iconicity) were stronger predictors of learning than individual differences.

Conclusions:

  • Adult language learning mechanisms adapt to modality-specific features, utilizing iconicity in sign languages similar to how frequency is used in spoken languages.
  • First exposure to a new language is significantly influenced by input characteristics rather than individual learner differences.
  • Implicit learning in a new modality like sign language relies on both statistical regularities and visual properties of the signs.