ling 51/psych 56l: acquisition of language

Ling51/Psych56L:AcquisitionofLanguage

Lecture18DevelopmentofsyntaxII

Announcements

HW5isdue12/1/17-beworkingonit

Beworkingonthereviewquestionsformorphologyandsyntax

Checkoutthelanguagesciencecoursesnextquarter,includingAcqofLangII!

Fromonewordtomany

Theone-wordstagehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmghbKNiI1k&feature=youtu.be

0:42-2:03:Theone-wordstage&thefocusonnewinformation

Beyondsinglewordspeech

Unanalyzedcombinations:mostchildrenhavetransitionalformsthatcombinemultiplewords,butwhichthechilddoesn’trealizearemultiplewords

Ex:“Iwant”(Iwant),“Idunno”(Idon’tknow)

Thetwo-wordstagehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmghbKNiI1k&feature=youtu.be

2:57-3:54:Thetwo-wordstage

Beyondtwowords

Evenwhenchildrenproducemultiwordutterances,theystillproducesinglewordutterances.

Point:children’sdevelopmentmeasuredbythemaximumnumberofwordstheyproduceinagivenutterance.

Beyondtwowords

Whenchildrenstarttoput3wordstogether,manyoftheseutterancesarecombinationsoftherelationalmeaningsexpressedinthetwowordstage.

“Iwatchingcars”=“Iwatching”+“watchingcars”“Putittable”=“Putit”+“ittable”

Beyondtwowords

Earlysentencestendtobeimperatives(commands),aswellasaffirmative,declarativestatements.Questionsandnegationscomelater.

Imperative:“Dancewiththem!”Affirmative,declarative:“Idancewiththem.”

Question:“CanIdancewiththem?”Negation:“Idon’tdancewiththem.”

Beyondtwowords

Beyondtwowords

Imperativesdominateearlyon,thentaperoff.

Beyondtwowords

Declarativesalwaysafairlylargeproportion

Beyondtwowords

Questionsalwaysafairlysmallproportion

Developmentofsentenceforms

Notallsentenceformsarecreatedequal-somearehardertogetthehangofthanothers.

Negation:requiresuseofnegativewordandauxiliaryverb

Stage1:externalnegativemarkerNowipefinger.Nothesunshining.Nomitten.Wearmittenno.

Developmentofsentenceforms

Notallsentenceformsarecreatedequal-somearehardertogetthehangofthanothers.

Negation:requiresuseofnegativewordandauxiliaryverb

Stage2:internalnegativemarkerIcan’tseeyou.Idon’tlikeyou.Inowantenvelope.

Developmentofsentenceforms

Notallsentenceformsarecreatedequal-somearehardertogetthehangofthanothers.

Negation:requiresuseofnegativewordandauxiliaryverb

Stage3:auxiliaryconstructionsIdidn’tdidit.Donnawon’tletgo.No,itisn’t.

Developmentofsentenceforms

Notallsentenceformsarecreatedequal-somearehardertogetthehangofthanothers.

Questions:yes/noquestionsvs.wh-questions

Yes/No:Questionsthatcanbeansweredwithyes/no.Usuallyrequirepermutationofmainverbandauxiliaryverb,or

insertionofdummy“do”inEnglish.

Canwedancewithallthegoblins?

Wecandancewithallthegoblins

Developmentofsentenceforms

Notallsentenceformsarecreatedequal-somearehardertogetthehangofthanothers.

Questions:yes/noquestionsvs.wh-questions

Yes/No:Questionsthatcanbeansweredwithyes/no.Usuallyrequirepermutationofmainverbandauxiliaryverb,or

insertionofdummy“do”inEnglish.

Didwedancewithallthegoblins?

Wediddancewithallthegoblins. Wedancedwithallthegoblins.

Developmentofsentenceforms

Notallsentenceformsarecreatedequal-somearehardertogetthehangofthanothers.

Questions:yes/noquestionsvs.wh-questions

Wh-Questions:Questionsthatbeginwith“wh”words.Requirepermutationofauxiliaryverbsanduseof“wh”word.

Whocanwedancewith?

Wecandancewithwho Wecandancewithallthegoblins

Developmentofsentenceforms

Notallsentenceformsarecreatedequal-somearehardertogetthehangofthanothers.

Questions:yes/noquestionsvs.wh-questions

Stage1:externalquestionmarkerY/NIridetrain?Sitchair?

WhWhatcowboydoing?Whatabandaidis?

Developmentofsentenceforms

Notallsentenceformsarecreatedequal-somearehardertogetthehangofthanothers.

Questions:yes/noquestionsvs.wh-questions

Stage2:auxiliarieswithoutinversioninwh-questions, evenwhileyes/noquestionsshowinversionY/NDoesthekittystandup?DidIcaughtit?

WhWheretheotherJoewilldrive?Whykittycan’tstandup?

Developmentofsentenceforms

Notallsentenceformsarecreatedequal-somearehardertogetthehangofthanothers.

Questions:yes/noquestionsvs.wh-questions

Stage3:auxiliarieswithinversioninwh-questionsY/N(N/A)

WhWhatdidyoudoed?Whatdoeswhiskeytastelike?

Telegraphicspeechhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmghbKNiI1k&feature=youtu.be

5:34-6:22:Telegraphicspeech

Telegraphicspeech

Typicalgrammaticalcategoriesincludedinchildren’smultiwordspeech:nouns,verbs,adjectives

Typicalcategoriesmissing:determiners(the,a,…),prepositions(to,by,from,…),auxiliaryverbs(am,are,was,…),boundmorphemes(-spluralmarker,…)

Basicdivisionofmeaning: morecontentfulvs.moregrammatical

Youcancommunicatequitewellwithoutthemore“grammatical”categories.

Telegraphicspeechexamples

Intended:“Ihavetogotothecastletorescuemybabybrother!”

Telegraphic:“Igocastlerescuebabybrother!

Intended:“Theairissweetandfragrant–andnonemaypass

withoutmypermission!”

Telegraphic:“Airsweetfragrant–nonepasswithoutpermission!”

Telegraphicspeechhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmghbKNiI1k&feature=youtu.be

6:22-7:38:Fewerrors&comprehensionbetterthanproduction

Earlygrammaticalknowledge

Justbecausechildrendon’tusegrammaticalmorphemesintheirownspeechdoesn’tmeantheydon’tunderstandthatadultsusethemandtheyshouldusethem,too.

Shipley,Smith,&Gleitman(1969):childrenwhoaretelegraphicspeakersprefertorespondtofullcommandslike“Throwmetheball”overtheirowntelegraphicversions(“Throwball”)

Gerken&McIntosh(1993):childrenareparticularaboutwhichgrammaticalmorphemesoccurwhere-theycantellthedifferencebetween“Findthedogforme”and“Findwasdogforme”

Developmentofcomprehension

Gettingtochildren’sknowledge

Clevercomprehensionstrategieschildrenuse:

Usetheorderofwordstopredictwhodidwhattowhom.

Worksreallywellforactivesentences:“Theknightbumpedthedwarf.”Actualevent:knight-bumps-dwarf[Matcheswordorder]

…butnotsowellforpassives:“Theknightwasbumpedbythedwarf.”Actualevent:dwarf-bumps-knight[Doesnotmatchwordorder]

knight dwarf

Gettingtochildren’sknowledge

Clevercomprehensionstrategieschildrenuse:

Usetheorderofwordstopredictwhodidwhattowhom.

Worksreallywellforsentenceswhereorder-of-mentionistheorderofaction:

“JareththrewoffhisdisguisebeforeHogglecowered.”Actualevent:Jareth-throw-disguise,thenHoggle-cower.

[Matcheswordorder.]

…butnotsowellforoneswhereit’snot:“HogglecoweredafterJareththrewoffhisdisguise.”Actualevent:Jareth-throw-disguise,thenHoggle-cower.

[Doesnotmatchwordorder]

Jareth

Hoggle

Gettingtochildren’sknowledge

Clevercomprehensionstrategieschildrenuse:

Useworldknowledgetofigureoutlikelysequenceofevents.

Worksreallywellfornormalsentences(inaworldwhereJarethisoftendoingtheintimidatingandHoggleisoftendoingthecowering):

“JarethintimidatedHoggle.”

…butnotsowellforoneswheretheeventsarenotpredictablefromworldknowledge:

“HoggleintimidatedJareth.”

Jareth

Hoggle

Testingtruecomprehensionhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmghbKNiI1k&feature=youtu.be

2:03-2:57:Experimentswithchildren

Gettingaroundthecleverstrategies

Usingindirectmethodslikethepreferentiallookingparadigm,wecantestchildren’scomprehensionofmultiwordcombinationsevenwhentheycanonlyproduceonewordutterancesthemselves

Preferentiallookingparadigmhttp://www.thelingspace.com/episode-16https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-A9TnuSVa85:48-6:57

Gettingaroundthecleverstrategies

Hirsh-Pasek&Golinkoff(1991):13-to15-month-oldscancomprehendimprobablesentenceswithrelationalpropertieslike

“She’skissingthekeys.”

Hirsh-Pasek&Golinkoff(1991):16-to18-month-oldscantellthedifferencebetweencomplexquestionslike

“WhereisCookieMonsterwashingBigBird?”and “WhereisBigBirdwashingCookieMonster?”

Childrenunderstandmoreaboutstructuralrelationshipsthantheyletonwiththeirproduction!

Earlygrammaticalknowledge

Childrenhaveknowledgeofgrammaticalconstructionsevenbeforetheycanproduceallthewordsthemselves–andwhatwaspreviouslythoughttobetelegraphicspeechmightjustbeasevereformof“babyaccent”.

Dye2011:2-and3-year-oldFrenchchildrenhavephoneticplaceholdersforauxiliarywords(like“am”and“are”),andusethemastheywouldusetheactualwords.

“Thecontinuumrangedfromtargetornear-targetformsdowntobarelyaudibleforms(someofwhichrequiredidentificationthroughspectralanalysis)orevenpuffsofair.”

Earlygrammaticalknowledge

Anexampleofhowmuchproductioncanunderestimatechildren’sunderlyingknowledge:

Froma2-year-oldwhopreviouslysaidonly4words(mama,dad,yaya="doll",wawa=“dog”):

“Youknow,Dad,whatIlikeaboutgoingtothedoctor'sofficeisgesngtoplaywithallofthetoysinthewaitngroom.”(contributedbyJimMorgan)

Earlygrammaticalknowledge

Anotherexampleofhowmuchproductioncanunderestimatechildren’sunderlyingknowledge:

Myownmother’sfirstwordsatagefour,whenshehadn’tspokenasinglewordoutloudbefore:

(averheraunthadknockedsomethingover)“Thatwasverysloppyofyou.”

Earlygrammaticalknowledge

Childrenhaveknowledgeofgrammaticalconstructionsevenbeforetheycanproduceallthewordsthemselves—cluesaboutwhattypeofutterancesomethingisdon’tcomejustfromprosody.

Geffen&Mintz2014:12-month-oldscandistinguishbetweendeclarativeslike“Yourememberedthepopcorn”andyes/noquestionslike“Didyourememberthepopcorn?”onthebasisofwordorderalone.

DeVilliers1995:comprehensiontaskwith3-to6-year-olds “Oncetherewasaboywholovedclimbingtreesintheforest.One

afternoonheslippedandfelltotheground.Hepickedhimselfupandwenthome.Thatnightwhenhehadabath,hesawabigbruiseonhisarm.HesaidtohisDad,‘ImusthavehurtmyselfwhenIfellthisafternoon.’”

Anotherexampleofearlygrammaticalknowledge

Whendidtheboysayhefell?—>Whendidtheboysay__hefell?—>Whendidtheboysayhefell__?

DeVilliers1995:comprehensiontaskwith3-to6-year-olds “Oncetherewasaboywholovedclimbingtreesintheforest.One

afternoonheslippedandfelltotheground.Hepickedhimselfupandwenthome.Thatnightwhenhehadabath,hesawabigbruiseonhisarm.HesaidtohisDad,‘ImusthavehurtmyselfwhenIfellthisafternoon.’”

TwointerpretationspossibleWhendidthesayinghappen?

Whendidthefallinghappen?

Anotherexampleofearlygrammaticalknowledge

Whendidtheboysayhefell?—>Whendidtheboysay__hefell?—>Whendidtheboysayhefell__?

DeVilliers1995:comprehensiontaskwith3-to6-year-olds “Oncetherewasaboywholovedclimbingtreesintheforest.One

afternoonheslippedandfelltotheground.Hepickedhimselfupandwenthome.Thatnightwhenhehadabath,hesawabigbruiseonhisarm.HesaidtohisDad,‘ImusthavehurtmyselfwhenIfellthisafternoon.’”

Thatnight

Thisafternoon

Childrenallowboththesestructures(andtheirinterpretations),too.

Anotherexampleofearlygrammaticalknowledge

Twointerpretationspossible

Whendidtheboysayhowhefell?

DeVilliers1995:comprehensiontaskwith3-to6-year-olds “Oncetherewasaboywholovedclimbingtreesintheforest.One

afternoonheslippedandfelltotheground.Hepickedhimselfupandwenthome.Thatnightwhenhehadabath,hesawabigbruiseonhisarm.HesaidtohisDad,‘ImusthavehurtmyselfwhenIfellthisafternoon.’”

Anotherexampleofearlygrammaticalknowledge

Whendidtheboysay[howhefell]?—>Whendidtheboysay__[howhefell]? Whendidtheboysay[howhefell__]?

DeVilliers1995:comprehensiontaskwith3-to6-year-olds “Oncetherewasaboywholovedclimbingtreesintheforest.One

afternoonheslippedandfelltotheground.Hepickedhimselfupandwenthome.Thatnightwhenhehadabath,hesawabigbruiseonhisarm.HesaidtohisDad,‘ImusthavehurtmyselfwhenIfellthisafternoon.’”

Onlyoneinterpretation

Whendidthesayinghappen?Whendidthefallinghappen?

Anotherexampleofearlygrammaticalknowledge

x

Whendidtheboysay[howhefell]?—>Whendidtheboysay__[howhefell]? Whendidtheboysay[howhefell__]?

DeVilliers1995:comprehensiontaskwith3-to6-year-olds “Oncetherewasaboywholovedclimbingtreesintheforest.One

afternoonheslippedandfelltotheground.Hepickedhimselfupandwenthome.Thatnightwhenhehadabath,hesawabigbruiseonhisarm.HesaidtohisDad,‘ImusthavehurtmyselfwhenIfellthisafternoon.’”

AtnightIntheafternoon

Childrenallowonlythetopstructure(anditsinterpretation),too.

Anotherexampleofearlygrammaticalknowledge

xOnlyoneinterpretation

DeVilliers1995:comprehensiontaskwith3-to6-year-olds “Oncetherewasaboywholovedclimbingtreesintheforest.One

afternoonheslippedandfelltotheground.Hepickedhimselfupandwenthome.Thatnightwhenhehadabath,hesawabigbruiseonhisarm.HesaidtohisDad,‘ImusthavehurtmyselfwhenIfellthisafternoon.’”

Anotherexampleofearlygrammaticalknowledge

Childrenasyoungas3yearsoldhavetheseadultinterpretations!

Whywemaynotalwaysrealizehowmuchchildrenknow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmghbKNiI1k&feature=youtu.be

7:38-9:16:Processingconstraints

Arelatedpoint:DatadistributionsWhyisthespeedyacquisitiontrajectorysurprising?

LanguagehasaZipfiandistribution:relativelyfewitemsareusedveryfrequentlywhilemostitemsoccurrarely,withmanyoccurringonlyonceeveninverylargedatasamples.

items

itemfrequency

Arelatedpoint:DatadistributionsWhyisthespeedyacquisitiontrajectorysurprising?

“Toattainfulllinguisticcompetence,thechildlearnermustovercometheZipfiandistributionanddrawgeneralizationsaboutlanguageonthebasisoffewandnarrowtypesoflinguisticexpressions.”–Yang2010

Basicpoint:Thedistributionofnaturallanguagedatareallymakesthechild’sjobhard,sincethechildmustextractpatternsandbuildasystemdespitenotencounteringmostofthegrammaticalformsinthelanguageveryoften.

Thesequenceofgrammaticaldevelopmentthatoccursincomprehensionislikethesequenceinproduction,butitoccursearlier.

Morphology&syntaxdevelopment:Recap

Childrenprogressfromsinglewordutterancestomultiwordutterances,learningtocombineitemsintheirlexiconinaproductivemannertoexpressthemeaningstheywant.

Children’sdevelopmentalpatternstendtofollowpredictablepaths,demonstratingtheirgradualacquisitionofmoregrammaticalknowledge.

Morphology&syntaxdevelopment:Recap

Childrenseemtohaveacquiredaverycomplexsystemofgrammarataveryyoungage,thoughitisnotnecessarilythecompleteadultsystem.

Howevergrammaticalrulesareacquired,theymustbeacquiredquickly.Thisplacesconstraintsonwhatkindofdevelopmentaltheorycanbeproposed,becauseitmustaccountforthisspeedyacquisitiontrajectory.

Questions?

Youshouldbeabletodoupthroughquestion10onthereviewquestions,andupthroughquestion11onHW5.