Midterm Study Guide

General

• Characteristics of human language
• Modular Theory of Language vs. Single Processor Theory of Language
• Evidence for innateness
• What's the "language processor" and what are it's components?
• Point of Science as it relates to this class
• Vocab: if it's on a slide, know what it means

Animal Communication

• What have we said is different?
• Know the apes by name and their successes / failures
• Know the dolphins and their contribution

Autistic / William's Syndrome Language

• Know the characteristics of Austism and William's Syndrome
• Possible causes of autism
• What does "Sally and the Marble" tell us?
• What's FC and what's the controversy?

Aphasic Language

• What does aphasic language tell us about normal language?
• Wernicke's vs. Broca's aphasia - what's different, why, where's the damage?
• Know the pertinent areas of the brain and the names of landmarks
• Causes of aphasia
• Lateralization facts: Right vs. Left hemispheres; Right vs. Left handed people
• Split brain patients: why? characteristics?
• Relationship between age and aphasia

SLI Language

• What is SLI (Specific Language Impairment)? Causes?
• Lexical vs. Functional Categories

X-bar Syntax

• 3 levels (X X' XP)
• 3 positions (head complement specifier)
• 2 rules (XP -> (Spec) X' ; X' -> X (Comp) )
• When does movement happen? Know how it works for questions in English and how the "Structure Dependency Principle" is related
• What is the difference between deep and surface structure
• What are C and I?
• Why do we play with Lego?

Primary Stuff from Pinker

• 1, 2, 4 primarily but all assigned readings will help