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MID TEST

Subject
Semester
Lecturer

: Psycholinguistics
: VII /2014-2015
: Rosmania Rima, M.Pd.

Answer the questions below briefly and support your answer with
some examples!
1. What is the underlying reason of the existence of psycholinguistics as one
of linguistic fields?
2. Is there a critical age for first language learning?
3. Can person who are mute but hearing develop the ability to comprehend
speech?
4. How sign language differ from sign and gesture?
5. Can animal communication be regarded as language?
6. Can we teach animal a language?
7. There

are

factors

involved

in

second

language

acquisition:

psychological, social situation, other psychological variable. Explain them!

Answers
Students name
: Nurmeida Urwani
NIM
: 2223110395
Class
: A / Regular
1. The underlying reason of the existence of psycholinguistics as one of
linguistic fields is because this study combines the disciplines of
psychology and linguistics. In psycholinguistics we're study about how
people use, acquire, and represent a language. This study still has
linkage with lingustics because linguistics itself is a study of language
which reviewing all about language. So, this is why psycholinguistics
become a one of branch from lingustics.
2. Yes, there is a period called critical age. There is a critical age period
for first language learning. It means that there is a limited time during
which the baby should be exposed to language, because that period is
the most ideal period to learning other language besides mother
tongue, because in that period, children's brain is still flexible, so the
language absorption process will be better in that period. They can
acquire language more easily because of the plasticity of their brains.
Their speech organs are more flexible than those of mature adults.
They have the advantage in leaning a new language because it is

much easier for children than for adults to utter the new language with
an accurate pronunciation and intonation.
3. Persons who are mute but hearing of course can develop the ability to
comprehend speech without their being able to produce speech, so
long as their basic intelligence is intact. Because many hearing people
who are born mute, but they may be born with cerebral palsy or some
other abnormality that prohibits them from articulating speech. Yet
such people may learn to comprehend all that is spoken to them.
Based on an ebook that I've read entitled Psycholinguistics: Language,
Mind and World written by Danny D, I found that many case about this
phenomenon. One of them is Anne McDonald who has never been able
to control her muscles and speech articulation,but her hearing was
normal, so she learned to understand speech as a young child.
4. Sign language is a system of communication utilizing gestures. Each
letter and sound is represented by a specific gesture. It is much more
codified than a general gesture. It is different with gesture. A gesture,
as I would define it, is a motion that creates a shape that has a specific
meaning. For example, if I raise two fingers on my hand, with the palm
facing you, and the other two fingers clasped to the palm, with the
thumb resting on it, that is a gesture for "peace." Or, if I point using my
index finger at something, that is a gesture. The meaning is, "look at
that".
5. I think animal communication can be regrarded as a language because
language is something that used to comunicate or to express thoughts
and feelings to each other that not only used by human, but also by
the animals to communicate each other.
6. Yes of course we can teach animal a language, but can never arrange
the words into a sentence. They only can speak some words. Besides,
not all animals can taught a language and speak human language. The
example animal that can speak human language is chimp. The word
that it spoke can be interpreted into several meanings. For example if
the chimp said "strawberry", it means that the chimp want to eat
strawberry or the chimp saw a strawberry.
7. Psychological. In this section, we shall

consider:

intelectual

processing, which is involved in an individuals analitical determination

of grammatical structures and rules; memory, which is essentian if
language learningis to occur and remain; and motor skills, which
concern the pronunciation of the sounds involved in the L2. For
example, the use of the articulators of speech (tongue, lips, mouth,
vocal cords, etc.)
Social Situation. The types of situations, settings, and interactions
which an individual experiences can affect the learning of a L2. Thus,
we will be concerned with where and with whom exposure to the L2
occurs. In particular, the natural situation (family, play, workplace) in
contrast to the classroom situation will be focused on.
Other Psychological Variables. Here we shall see the effect of other
individual factors such as what the persons first language is, and how
motivation, attitude, and other individual factors may affect learning.