LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENT
March, 2015
The importance of language
Humans are the only species to use complex
language.
Becoming proficient with spoken language is
one of a child’s most significant developmental
milestones.
The speed at which language develops in the
first years of life is extraordinary.
At birth both left and right hemispheres of the
brain are capable of developing language.
Nevertheless, the left hemisphere shows
specialisation for language.
Definition of language
Language is an organised system of
symbols, movements and sounds to
communicate with others, according to a
set of agreed rules for the oral, written
or signed forms.
Theories of language
development
Two approaches have dominated the study
of language.
The behaviourist approach (1940’s and
1950’s).
Noam Chomsky (1959) introduced a new
theory of language based on nativist ideas.
Chomsky and his followers believed that we do not
learn a language.
Language develops naturally as we mature.
Nativist theory of language
Chomsky defends that language is the
product of an unlearned, biologically
based, internal mental structure.
Chomsky reasoned that the rules which
govern the proper use of a language were
too complex to be acquired by children in
the few short years it takes them to learn
a language.
Therefore, some aspects of language must
be innately specified, meaning that these
aspects of our language are not learned
but are a part of our biological heritage.
Nativist theory of language
All nativist theories of language
development share certain elements:
Certain grammatical concepts are common
to all languages and are therefore innate
(for example: subject, verb and object).
Children are biologically predisposed to
learn language.
All children come to the task of acquiring a
language with a set of innate hypotheses
which guide their attempts to abstract the
principles which govern their language.
Language acquisition
device (LAD)
Chomsky (1968) proposed that children come
equipped with an innate mental structure
which makes the task of learning language
feasible.
He called this structure the language
acquisition device (LAD).
The LAD contains a set of features common
to all languages, called universal grammar.
Nativists believed there was a critical age for
language learning, a period when children
are particularly sensitive to language.
Interactionist views
In recent years new theories have
attempted to integrate the roles of biology
and environment in children’s language
learning.
Interactionists see children as having a
strong biological predisposition to acquire
a language, but in contrast to nativists,
interactionists stress the importance of:
The social support parents provide, and
The social contexts a child is exposed to.
Preverbal communication
Nonverbal precursors to language development:
Parents and infants often engage in a kind of
dialogue which includes sounds, movement, touch,
and a variety of facial expressions.
The use of gestures as a method of communication.
By
the end of their first year, infants begin to
communicate by pointing at objects.
Protodeclarative pointing: the use of pointing
gestures to bring an object to another’s attention.
Protoimperative pointing: the use of pointing
gestures to get another to do something for them.
The four components of
language
Phonology: the sound system of a
language.
Semantics: the meaning of words and
sentences.
Syntax: the way we combine and create
sentences.
Pragmatics: the social part of language.
Phonological development
Phonological development is the process of
learning to hear and make the sounds of one’s
language.
It is a complex and challenging process for
young children.
The sounds which make up a specific language
are called phonemes.
Phonological development requires the child to
attend to and separate out the sounds they hear
in the speech around them, learn to create these
sounds for themselves, and to string (put
together) these sounds together in meaningful
units.
Categorical speech
perception
From birth, infants create their own sounds.
Crying is the first sound they use.
Serves as a communicative function.
By 1 month, infants begin cooing.
Cooing involves the production of vowel sounds.
By 6 months, infants begin the process of
babbling.
Babbling occurs when infants begin to string
consonants and vowels together.
Finally, patterned speech appears.
Semantic development
First words
Children’s first words occur sometime between
10 to 13 months of age. They usually refer to
important people in their lives and to familiar
objects and actions.
Between 12 and 18 months, infants learn
approximately three new words per month.
By 18 months children acquire words much more
quickly. This growth is called naming explosion.
By the time children are 6 years of age, they
have a vocabulary of approximately 10.000
words.
The development of
syntax/grammar
First sentences
Around 18 months to 27 months of age, children
begin to utter their first combination of words.
Telegraphic speech: Daddy read, give juice, etc.
Between 27 and 36 months of age, there is a
rapid development of grammar appearing in
children’s speech: grammar explosion.
At around 30 to 48 months of age, children
begin building more complex linguistic
constructions, combining sentences and
producing complex questions.
The development of
pragmatics
Pragmatics refers to the knowledge about
the social conventions of language. It is the
study of how language is used to
communicate with others.
One of the earliest skills that children must
acquire in order to communicate effectively is
the ability to maintain a conversation with
another person.
Another aspect of pragmatic understanding
which develops during the school years is the
ability to distinguish between what a speaker
says and what the speaker really means.
Language milestones: birth – 6
months
At birth:
Perceives speech of others
Shows preference for human voices
Cries frequently, showing some pitch
variations
1-6 months:
Cries become differentiated to indicate
different needs
Makes cooing and gurgling sounds.
Listening skills greatly improved
Laughs at things he/she finds amusing
Recognises own name
Language milestones: 6-12
months
6-12 months
Hearing developed to be able to locate
sound sources with some accuracy
Understands “no”
Babbling (ba-ba-ba) that includes different
vowel-consonant combinations
Says ma-ma or da-da without meaning
Tries to communicate with actions or
gestures
Tries to mimic sounds
Enjoys “language” games with adults
Language milestones: 12-
24 months
12-24 months
Achieves first word – may be earlier
Answers simple questions non-verbally
Uses on-word “sentences” (by 18 months)
May from two-work “sentences” (by 24
months) to label a person or object
Makes animal sounds like “moo”
Repeats words of interest
“Naming explosion”
Increases participation and enjoyment in
language games
Language milestones: 2-3
years
2-3 years
Use of “what” questions
Knows some spatial concepts such as “in”
and “on”
Knows pronouns: “you”, “me”, “her”
Knows descriptive words: “big”, “happy”
Uses question inflection
Uses plurals
Forms three-word “sentences” that include
a verb
Language milestones: 3-5
years
3-5 years
Easily copes with sentences of 4-5 words
Increased use of pragmatics of language
Applies language rules in everyday speech
Uses prepositions, negative and
imperatives
Increased use of “why” questions
Language milestones: 5-8
years
5-8 years
Understands time sequences
Carries out a series of three directions
Understands and creates rhyming
Engages in full conversation
Uses more complex syntax in sentences
Describes objects
Uses imagination to create stories
Applies pragmatics of language
Learns to read and write
Any questions?
Homework
Download the document your group has been
assigned on the Moodle platform.
Read it and form a critical opinion on it.
Prepare a written report (review) to present in
class on what you think of the material and if you
think it can help you as a future primary teacher.
Look for a video on YouTube on Speech and
Language Development or Difficulties or
Disorders.
Prepare a short ppt with title of document,
review of the document and a YouTube link to a
video.
