Two- and three-year-olds' linguistic generalizations are prudent adaptations to the language they hear
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Colin Bannard
Abstract
Studies of children's “statistical learning” mechanisms have established that even infants are very competent at extracting grammar-like structure from sequences of language-like sounds. We review some recent work exploring how these mechanisms might be used to extract functional grammatical knowledge from real speech. We use statistical analysis of large samples of transcribed child-directed speech to make predictions about the generalizations children will make, which we then test in the lab. We provide evidence that children's generalizations are input-driven: they are more likely to be made not only where the input gives supporting evidence, but also where the input gives no opportunity for concrete reuse and thus pushes the child to make an inductive inference. Keywords: Statistical learning; child-directed speech; rational models
Abstract
Studies of children's “statistical learning” mechanisms have established that even infants are very competent at extracting grammar-like structure from sequences of language-like sounds. We review some recent work exploring how these mechanisms might be used to extract functional grammatical knowledge from real speech. We use statistical analysis of large samples of transcribed child-directed speech to make predictions about the generalizations children will make, which we then test in the lab. We provide evidence that children's generalizations are input-driven: they are more likely to be made not only where the input gives supporting evidence, but also where the input gives no opportunity for concrete reuse and thus pushes the child to make an inductive inference. Keywords: Statistical learning; child-directed speech; rational models
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- List of contributors ix
- Introduction 1
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Part I. Extracting regularities
- Toward a theory of gradual morphosyntactic learning 15
- Cues to form and function in the acquisition of German number and case inflection 35
- Developing first contrasts in Spanish verb inflection 53
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Part II. Multiple cues in learning to communicate
- A new look at redundancy in children's gesture and word combinations 75
- Learning the meaning of “ um ” 91
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Part III. Discovering units
- From first words to segments 109
- Analysis and generalization across verbs and constructions 135
- Two- and three-year-olds' linguistic generalizations are prudent adaptations to the language they hear 153
- Units of learning in language acquisition 167
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Part IV. Individual differences
- Causes and consequences of variability in early language learning 181
- Individual differences in measures of linguistic experience account for variability in the sentence processing skill of five-year-olds 203
- Genetic variation and individual differences in language 223
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Part V. Mechanisms for learning
- Language as a process 241
- Memory, sleep and generalization in language acquisition 261
- Bayesian modeling of sources of constraint in language acquisition 277
- Index 295
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- List of contributors ix
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Extracting regularities
- Toward a theory of gradual morphosyntactic learning 15
- Cues to form and function in the acquisition of German number and case inflection 35
- Developing first contrasts in Spanish verb inflection 53
-
Part II. Multiple cues in learning to communicate
- A new look at redundancy in children's gesture and word combinations 75
- Learning the meaning of “ um ” 91
-
Part III. Discovering units
- From first words to segments 109
- Analysis and generalization across verbs and constructions 135
- Two- and three-year-olds' linguistic generalizations are prudent adaptations to the language they hear 153
- Units of learning in language acquisition 167
-
Part IV. Individual differences
- Causes and consequences of variability in early language learning 181
- Individual differences in measures of linguistic experience account for variability in the sentence processing skill of five-year-olds 203
- Genetic variation and individual differences in language 223
-
Part V. Mechanisms for learning
- Language as a process 241
- Memory, sleep and generalization in language acquisition 261
- Bayesian modeling of sources of constraint in language acquisition 277
- Index 295
