Question 1

__________,in which new words are associated with their meaning after only a brief encounter,is responsible for the 14,000-word vocabulary of the average 6-year-old.

Accepted Answer

Fast mapping is the process by which children quickly connect new words with their meanings after minimal exposure, contributing to their rapid vocabulary growth.

Question 2

The __________ approach to language acquisition posits that children are born with the innate capacity to use language,which emerges as they mature.

Accepted Answer

The nativist approach, associated with Noam Chomsky, suggests that children are born with an innate ability to acquire language, which naturally unfolds as they grow.

Question 3

The basic sounds of language that can be combined to produce words and sentences are called __________.

Accepted Answer

Phonemes are the smallest units of sound in a language that can be combined to form words and sentences.

Question 4

It is estimated that by age 4,children from poorer families have been exposed to some __________ fewer words than children of more affluent families.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that by age 4, children from poorer families have been exposed to approximately 13 million fewer words than children from more affluent families, highlighting the disparity in language exposure.

Question 5

The use of rising pitch,singsong intonation,repetitive sounds,and short,simple sentences are all characteristics of __________.

Accepted Answer

Infant-directed speech, also known as "motherese" or "parentese," is characterized by a higher pitch, exaggerated intonation, repetitive sounds, and simple sentences to engage and communicate with infants.

Question 6

Describe the sequence of language development during the first two years,and give an example of each type of communication.Why does this sequence develop in this way?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the sequence of language development during...

Question 7

Vygotsky believed that by age 2,the development of thought and language have become __________.

Accepted Answer

Vygotsky believed that by age 2, thought and language become interdependent, meaning they start to influence each other significantly.

Question 8

The __________ hypothesis suggests that language provides categories that help children construct perceptions of people and events in their surroundings.

Accepted Answer

The linguistic-relativity hypothesis, also known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, suggests that the language one speaks influences how they perceive and categorize the world around them.

Question 9

Explain why the relationship between language and thought is reciprocal,and give examples of research evidence to support each direction of causality.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain why the relationship between language and...

Question 10

What do the learning theory approach and the interactionist approach to language development both have in common?

Accepted Answer

Both the learning theory approach and the interactionist approach emphasize the role of the environment in language development, though they differ in how they integrate biological factors.

Question 11

Summarize three theories of language acquisition,noting the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Summarize three theories of language acquisition,noting the...

Question 12

Because they have a wider range of linguistic possibilities to select from,children who are __________ tend to show more cognitive flexibility than their peers.

Accepted Answer

Bilingual children have access to multiple languages, which enhances their cognitive flexibility by allowing them to switch between different linguistic frameworks and problem-solving strategies.

Question 13

Explain the differences in infant-directed speech in various cultures.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain the differences in infant-directed speech in...

Question 14

Summarize how living in poverty affects language development.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Summarize how living in poverty affects language...

Question 15

One-word utterances,called __________,stand for a whole phrase and derive their meaning from the context in which they are used.

Accepted Answer

Holophrases are one-word utterances used by children to convey a complete idea or sentence, with meaning derived from context.

Question 16

In a classic study,parents classified as professionals spent significantly more time __________ their children than did parents who received welfare assistance.

Accepted Answer

Professional parents tend to spend more time interacting with their children, which includes talking, playing, and engaging in educational activities, compared to parents on welfare assistance.

Question 17

Roberto points out to his mother that he purposefully tries to use smaller words with his little brother than he does with his older brother.This is an example of __________.

Accepted Answer

Metalinguistic awareness is the ability to think about and reflect on the nature and functions of language, which includes adjusting language use according to the listener's needs, as Roberto does.

Question 18

When non-English speaking children are initially taught in their native language,while at the same time learning English,the technique is called __________.

Accepted Answer

Bilingual education is a teaching method in which non-English speaking children are initially taught in their native language while simultaneously learning English.

Question 19

A mother who rewards a child for making a sound that approximates ma is an example of which perspective on language acquisition?

Accepted Answer

Learning theory approach suggests that language is acquired through reinforcement and imitation, which is what the mother is doing in this example.

Question 20

__________ is a universal phenomenon in which infants spontaneously produce all of the sounds from every language.

Accepted Answer

Babbling is a stage in child language development where infants produce sounds from all languages, not just their native one.

Quiz 7: Language Development