Early Language Acquisition and Cognition-General

This class is about “Developmental Cognition.” How does this relate to other classes offered at the University of Oregon? In a similar field of study, “Cognition” taught by Dr. Ulrich Meyer, a structural diagram of cognition-general was given (figure 1). General cognition was presented as the process by which (a) incoming stimulus is, (b) slightly analyzed and is then (c) passed on to the short-term or working memory. The short-term/working memory is where general cognition takes place. Herein lays the foundation for (d) conscious cognition and thought and the focus or maintenance loop. From here the mind has access to (e) the long-term memory and the subconscious/semantics.

Figure 1
Cognition-General

Incoming Stimulus
i
Some
Early Analysis
i
Short Term Memory

Conscious CognitionThought
(Maintenance Loop/ Focus)
o
(Access)
o
Long Term Memory
(subconscious-semantics)

How does this relate to our class as related to developmental cognition? In the instance of, or domain of, “Early Language Acquisition,” eight month old learners experience independent mechanisms, like the segmentation of words from fluent speech. This is represented in this cognitive structural diagram (figure 2).

Figure 2
Experience Independent Mechanisms

Environmental Stimulus
Bunches of Words/Sounds
i
early analysis/interpretation
i
Short Term Memory

Conscious Cognition
Ego trying to Define and Speak
(Induction Dilemma)
Segmentation of Words from
Fluent Speech
(Maintenance Loop/Focus)
o
(Access)
o
Long Term Memory
Subconscious:
-semantics
-definitions

This is a representation of powerful mechanisms for the computation of statistical properties of language input.