which of the following meanings of “mommy” is an example of a holophrase? course hero

by Verona Hagenes 4 min read

What does it mean when a baby hears the words "We are going to the store"?

Do you want to go to the store? you love going to the store" and notices that the sound " store" is repeated, which means that ti must be an individual word. The baby is reasoning with

Does Jasmine teach basic skills?

Jasmine, a preschool teacher, does not believe in teaching basic skills directly. She believes that if she provides a print-rich environment and uses hands on activities her students will construct their own accurate understanding of print concepts. She reads aloud in class, and encourages her students to "write stories" on paper. Which of the following theories has influenced Deborah's teaching methods?

What is a holophrase?

In studies of language acquisition, the term holophrase refers more specifically to an utterance produced by a child in which a single word expresses the type of meaning typically conveyed in adult speech by an entire sentence. The adjective holophrastic is used to denote a phrase consisting of a single word.

When do holophrases take place?

In situations of normal upbringing, holophrases reveal that a vast amount of neuro-physiological and conceptual development has taken place in the child by the end of the first year of life.

Do adults use holophrases?

Most adults use holophrastic language fairly regularly, especially single-word phrases that are well-established. But how are holophrases created by adult speakers, some of which remain in use for generations, created? Jerry Hobbs explains the composition of holophrases in "The Origin and Evolution of Language: A Plausible Strong-Al Account".

Do all holophrastic utterances follow the one word rule?

Not all holophrastic utterances follow the one-word rule, however. Some holophrases, as noted by Bruce M. Rowe and Diane P. Levine in A Concise Introduction to Linguistics, are "utterances that are more than one word, but are perceived by children as one word: I love you, thank you, Jingle Bells, there it is, " (Rowe and Levine 2014).

Is holophrase idiosyncratic?

Psychologist Michael Tomasello comments, "Many of children's early holophrases are relatively idiosyncratic and their uses can change and evolve over time in a somewhat unstable manner. ... In addition, however, some of children's holophrases are a bit more conventional and stable. . . . In English, most beginning language learners acquire ...

What are the words used by infants to mean many different things?

Single words used by infants to mean many different things are called holophrases. For, although the child is only producing one word at a time, the words often have a composite meaning. We have noted, for example, that the word mummy could be used for naming a person or for indicating possession of an object.

What does "like more" mean in a child's speech?

The child may use a single word like more to indicate, ‘I want some more cheese’ or ‘I want you to play with me some more.’ Words that express the meaning, ‘I want…’ or ‘I need…’ are considered to function instrumentally.

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Holophrases in Language Acquisition

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Even from a very young age, language learners can communicate. What starts as cooing and babbling soon becomes holophrases that allow a baby to express their needs and desires to those around them. Researcher Marcel Danesi says more about the role of holophrases in language acquisition in Second Language Teachi…
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Evolution of Holophrases

  • Holophrases, like the children that learn to use them, grow and evolve to take on different meanings and suit different needs. Psychologist Michael Tomasello comments, "Many of children's early holophrases are relatively idiosyncratic and their uses can change and evolve over time in a somewhat unstable manner. ... In addition, however, some of children's holophrases ar…
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Interpreting Holophrases

  • Unfortunately, interpreting a child's holophrases is far from easy. This is because a holophrase could mean something entirely different to its speaker than it does to a researcher or family member, as explained by Jill and Peter De Villiers: "The problem of the holophrase [is] that we have no clear evidence that the child intends more than he can express at the one-word stage," (…
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Composition of Adult Holophrases

  • Most adults use holophrastic language fairly regularly, especially single-word phrases that are well-established. But how are holophrases created by adult speakers, some of which remain in use for generations, created? Jerry Hobbs explains the composition of holophrases in "The Origin and Evolution of Language: A Plausible Strong-Al Account". "Holophrases are of course a signific…
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Sources

  1. Danesi, Marcel. Second Language Teaching. Springer, 2003.
  2. De Villiers, Jill, and Peter De Villiers. Language Acquisition. Harvard University Press, 1979.
  3. Hobbs, Jerry R. "The Origin and Evolution of Language: A Plausible Strong-AI Account." Action To Language via the Mirror Neuron System.Cambridge University Press, 2005.
  4. Lightfoot, Cynthia et al. The Development of Children. 6th ed. Worth Publishers, 2008.
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