PSYCHOLINGUISTICS: STUDY ABOUT LANGUAGE AND THE BRAIN

Psycholinguistics is one of linguistics branches. It talks about how the brain form the language

1. PSYCHOLINGUISTICSPSYCHOLINGUISTICS

2. INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION
WHAT IS PSYCHOLINGUISTICS?WHAT IS PSYCHOLINGUISTICS?

""Psycholinguistics is the study of the cognitive process that Psycholinguistics is the study of the cognitive process that
supports the acquisition and use of language"supports the acquisition and use of language" Schmitt, N. Schmitt, N.

"Psycholinguistics is the study of how the mind equips "Psycholinguistics is the study of how the mind equips
human beings to handle language" Simpson, Jhuman beings to handle language" Simpson, J

3. INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION
HISTORYHISTORY
Over the centuries...Over the centuries...
          Language discussions of language acquisition and of the origins of Language discussions of language acquisition and of the origins of
language.language.
Nineteenth century...Nineteenth century...
          Parallel interest in the psichology of adult language developmentParallel interest in the psichology of adult language development
          

4. INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION
Twentieth century...Twentieth century...
        First half: BehaviorismFirst half: Behaviorism
        Second half: Miller and ChomskySecond half: Miller and Chomsky

5. INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

Second century....Second century....

          First half: Behavourism.First half: Behavourism.

          Second half: Miller and Chomsky.Second half: Miller and Chomsky.

Today...Today...

          Psycholinguistics is a multidisciplinary field, drawing Psycholinguistics is a multidisciplinary field, drawing
upon cognitive psychology, theoretical linguistics.....upon cognitive psychology, theoretical linguistics.....

          

6. LANGUAGE ACQUISITIONLANGUAGE ACQUISITION

DEFINITIONDEFINITION

THEORIESTHEORIES

7. NATIVIST THEORYNATIVIST THEORY

CHOMSKY'S ASSERTIONS: language is an CHOMSKY'S ASSERTIONS: language is an
innately acquired facultyinnately acquired faculty

Arguments:Arguments:

  The sort period of time while a child achieves The sort period of time while a child achieves
grammatical competence.grammatical competence.

    The lack of correction or explicit teaching by The lack of correction or explicit teaching by
adults.adults.

8. NATIVIST THEORYNATIVIST THEORY
The poverty of the stimuls available to the child.The poverty of the stimuls available to the child.
    All   normally developing children acquie full All   normally developing children acquie full
competencecompetence

9. NATIVIST THEORYNATIVIST THEORY

UNIVERSAL GRAMMAR (UG)UNIVERSAL GRAMMAR (UG)

Components:Components:

          Principles: they enable the infant to recognise Principles: they enable the infant to recognise
features that are common to most or all of the features that are common to most or all of the
world's languages. world's languages. 

Parameters: they can be set to accord with the Parameters: they can be set to accord with the
language to wich the child is exposedlanguage to wich the child is exposed

10. NATIVIST THEORYNATIVIST THEORY

CRITICAL PERIOD; THEORY :CRITICAL PERIOD; THEORY :

The two hemispheres might be "plastic" at birthThe two hemispheres might be "plastic" at birth

The left hemisphere gradually becoming the The left hemisphere gradually becoming the
dominant one for language during the five first dominant one for language during the five first
years of lifeyears of life

It was not corroborated by recent studies and It was not corroborated by recent studies and
commentators extended the cut-off point to commentators extended the cut-off point to
adolescenceadolescence

11. ALTERNATIVE THEORIESALTERNATIVE THEORIES

Many alternatives to the nativist view emphasize Many alternatives to the nativist view emphasize
the role of the LINGUISTIC the role of the LINGUISTIC
ENVIRONMENT to which the child is ENVIRONMENT to which the child is
exposedexposed

Jean Piaget (Piatelli-Palmerini 1980)Jean Piaget (Piatelli-Palmerini 1980)

Language acquisition is driven by COGNITIVE Language acquisition is driven by COGNITIVE
DEVELOPMENT as the child succeeds in making DEVELOPMENT as the child succeeds in making
sense of the world around it.sense of the world around it.

12. ALTERNATIVE THEORIESALTERNATIVE THEORIES

Other cognitive accounts – Human mind Other cognitive accounts – Human mind
structure permits to trace patterns in real-world structure permits to trace patterns in real-world
phenomena, including speech, without special phenomena, including speech, without special
language-related device.language-related device.

Deacon (1997) – It is possible that language Deacon (1997) – It is possible that language
took advantage of cognitive operations that took advantage of cognitive operations that
served other purposes and that the brain then served other purposes and that the brain then
gradually evolved to accommodate it.gradually evolved to accommodate it.

13. ALTERNATIVE THEORIESALTERNATIVE THEORIES

14. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSPRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
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CHILD LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENTCHILD LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
AND BILINGUALISMAND BILINGUALISM

15. Child language developmentChild language development
Is language innate? Is language innate?

Many studies have investigated syntax, Many studies have investigated syntax,
morhpology lexis an phonology.morhpology lexis an phonology.

syntax: verbs used and its valencies.syntax: verbs used and its valencies.

Morphology: whether inflecions are acuired by a Morphology: whether inflecions are acuired by a
child in a fixed order.child in a fixed order.

lexis: the way in which infants succeed in lexis: the way in which infants succeed in
associating meanings with words.associating meanings with words.

16. Child language developmentChild language development

Phonology: child face important challenges of Phonology: child face important challenges of
establishing articulatory setting and of co-establishing articulatory setting and of co-
ordinating the movement of the articulators ordinating the movement of the articulators
from one to another.from one to another.

17. L2 AND BILINGUALISML2 AND BILINGUALISM
Example:Example:
English-spanish bilinguals judge wheter letter English-spanish bilinguals judge wheter letter
strings are real words in their L2. These words strings are real words in their L2. These words
are false friend.are false friend.
Spainsh: the word Spainsh: the word redred means “net” means “net”
English: the word English: the word redred refers to a color. refers to a color.

18. REFERENCESREFERENCES

SIMPSON, J. (ed). 2011. SIMPSON, J. (ed). 2011. The Routledge Handbook The Routledge Handbook
of Applied Linguistics. of Applied Linguistics. Routledge.Routledge.

SCHMITT, N. (ed). 2010. SCHMITT, N. (ed). 2010. An introduction to An introduction to
applied linguistics.applied linguistics. Hodder Education. Hodder Education.