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Chapt. Nine - Thinking and Language
Chapt. Nine - Thinking and Language
Overview
Concepts
Language and Thought
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Thinking
And so…
Thinking Creatively
Creativity is the ability to produce new and
valuable ideas.
It is supported by
Aptitude or the ability to learn
Intelligence
Working memory
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Thinking Creatively
Divergent thinking
• Expands the number of
possible problem solutions
(creative thinking that diverges
in different directions)
Convergent thinking
• Narrows the available problem
solutions to determine the
single best solution
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Thinking Creatively
Language Structure
Three building blocks of spoken language
Phonemes are smallest distinctive sound units in
language
Morphemes are smallest language unit that carry
meaning.
Grammar is the system of rules that enables humans
to communicate with one another.
Semantics: Deriving meaning from sounds
Syntax: Ordering words into sentences
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Productive Language
Telegraphic
Babbling stage One-word stage Two-word stage
speech
• Beginning at • From about • Beginning • Early speech
about 4 age 1 to 2, a about age 2, a stage in which
months, infant child speaks child speaks a child speaks
spontaneously mostly in mostly in two- like a telegram
utters various single words word using mostly
sounds at first statements nouns and
unrelated to verbs.
the household
language
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Explaining Language
Development
Statistical learning
Human infants display
the ability to learn
statistical aspects of
human speech.
Infant brains discern
Purestock/Agefotostock
word breaks and analyze
which syllables most
often go together.
Human infants come with a Seven-month-olds can
remarkable capacity to soak up
language. But the particular language
learn simple sentence
they learn will reflect their unique structures (ABA pattern).
interactions with others.
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Natively Deaf children who learn sign after age 9 do not learn sign
language, master basic words, or become as fluent as native signers.
Thinking About
Colors
• Colors seen in same
way but native
language used to
Thinking in Images
• After learning a skill, watching the activity
activates the brain’s internal stimulation of it
(fMRI research of Calvo-Merino and colleagues,
2004)
• Mental rehearsal can aid in academic goal
achievement (process stimulation)