Child Psychology
Computer Lab: Language
Name_________________________________ Block_______
Download this document from Mr. Zika’s website (mrzika.weebly.com) and click the links provided for
each section. You may answer the questions on this paper. (Links also on the lab page)
Language: A set of spoken, written, or signed words that are combined to communicate meaning.
Part 1: Where does language come from?
Link1: appsychology - language
1) What is the smallest unit of sound in language? _________________________
2) What is the smallest unit of meaningful sound? _________________________
3) Why might very young children be able to learn and speak new languages easier than adults?
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Nature/Nurture?
4) B.F. Skinner would say that language acquisition is because of _____________________
5) Noam Chomsky would say that language acquisition is because of ____________________
6) How might language control how we think? ______________________________________________
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Link 2: The Development of Language (Skip Box B)
7) How do humans learn species-specific sounds differently than animals? ________________________
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8) Babies naturally babble, but how do deaf babies raised by deaf parents differ in their babbling?
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9) When does the critical period for learning language begin to decline? ____________________
10) According to this article, why might very young children be able to learn and speak new languages
easier than adults?
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Child Psychology
Computer Lab: Language
Part 2: Learning Language
Link 1: Bilingual Babies
Why do scientists believe that being exposed to a second language as a baby can lead to higher IQ’s?
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Link 2: Of Two Minds
Describe two other advantages of learning a second language as a child:
A) _________________________________________________________________________________
B) _________________________________________________________________________________
Link 3: Milestones in Children
Fill in the chart based upon the information in the links. Write one significant milestone for
each box.
Skill
Kindergarten
Third Grade
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
Write a 2-3 sentence response describing the growth that can be seen in these four years.
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Child Psychology
Computer Lab: Language
PART 3: Radio Lab “Words” – Link: “Words”
BEFORE LISTENING: Do you think we need language to think? Why/Why not? Explain your answer.
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Listen to the sections of the podcast and then answer the questions.
“The Man Without Words” - time: 00:00 – 10:50
1) How old was Ildefanso? ______
2) Why did Ildefanso think that everybody communicated by sight? _____________________________
3) What do you think happens in human beings when we begin to use words and symbols?
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“Left of the Blue Wall” – time 10:50 – 22:30
1) How did 5 year-olds compare to rats in the study? _________________________________________
2) How did experimenters knock out the language of adults in the study? _________________________
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3) Language is useful for communicating with others, but how else is language useful for human beings?
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BONUS: Shakespeare – time 22:30 – 28:30
Name 6 words or phrases that Shakespeare invented:
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Child Psychology
Computer Lab: Language
Part 4: Thinking and Moving
Link: A Wave of the Hand
1) What does the author suggest about the use of gestures to communicate?
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2) How are our body movements and our thoughts connected?
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Part 5: Conclusions – Essential Question: How do we use our minds to understand the world around us
and assign it meaning?
Describe in detail how this activity has contributed to your understanding of the importance of language
in cognitive development.
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