Chapter 9 Language Development PDF

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Elizabeth Jean...

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Chapter 9 Language Development – 1 Defining Language  Language: o Communication that is based on a system of symbols  ALL human languages have some common characteristics o Infinite Generativity  Ability to produce an endless number of meaningful sentences using a finite set of words and rules o Organizational rules  Describe the way language works Language’s Rule Systems  Phonology o The sound system of language  Includes the sounds that are used and rules on how they can be combined o Phoneme  Basic unit of sound in language  Morphology o Rule system that governs how words are formed  Rules describe how morphemes can be combined into words o Morpheme  Minimal unit of meaning  Cannot be broken into smaller meaningful parts  Syntax o The way words are combined to form acceptable phrases and sentences  often used to mean grammar o Semantics  The meaning of words and sentences  Pragmatics o Appropriate use of language in different contexts  Can be complex and differ between cultures How Language Develops – Infancy  Infants follow a similar path in language development across the globe  Babbling and other vocalizations over first year: o Crying o Cooing o Babbling  Gestures o Start around 8-12 months o Pointing is an important index of social aspects of language  Recognizing Language Sounds

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o Infants can make distinctions among language sounds even before learning words  Before 6 months, infants are “citizens of the world”  After 6 months, infants are better at perceiving changes in sounds from “own” language; gradually lose ability to recognize differences First Words o Infants understand words before they can produce them o Receptive vocabulary exceeds broken vocabulary  Receptive vocabulary – words the child understands  Spoken vocabulary – words the child uses o First words emerge around 13 months o Typically first words hold importance o Vocabulary spurt – rapid increase in vocabulary  Children often overextend or underextend the meaning of words  Overextension o Tendency to apply a word too broadly  Underextension o Tendency to apply a word too narrowly Two-Word Utterances o Children convey meaning with just two words (in combination with gesture, tone, and context) o Telegraphic speech  Use of short and precise words without grammatical markers

How Language Develops – Early Childhood  Longer utterances build very quickly during years 2-3  Young children increase understanding of language rule systems  Understanding phonology and morphology o Sensitivity to sounds increases o Can produce all vowel and most consonant sounds by 3 years o Plural and possessive forms of nouns emerge o Changing understanding of morphological rules  Changes in Syntax and Semantics o Preschool children learn to apply rules of syntax o Vocabulary development is dramatic  Exposure to words on multiple occasions over time promotes word learning  Advances in Pragmatics o Young children begin to engage in extended conversation o Children are able to talk about things beyond here and now o Sensitivity to conversations o By 4-5 years, children adjust their speech style to suit the situation

How Language Develops – Middle and Late Childhood  Children advance abilities to read and write from new skill development  Vocabulary, grammar, and metalinguistic awareness o Changes occur in how children’s mental vocabulary is organized o Metalinguistic Awareness o Knowledge about language  Allows children to “think about their language, understand what words are, and even define them”  Reading o Vocabulary development plays an important role in reading comprehension o Process of reading words  Being aware of sound units  Decoding words  Accessing word meaning o Fluency – processing of words and passages becomes more automatic o Phonics approach  Emphasizes reading instruction that focuses on teaching basic rules for translating written symbols into sounds o Whole-language approach  Stresses that reading instruction should parallel natural language learning; use of whole and meaningful reading materials  Writing o Emerges out of early scribbles (2-3 years) o Can print name (4 years) o Can reproduce letters and copy several short words (5 years) o Writing Development:  Narrate and describe (elementary school)  Combine narration with reflection and analysis (middle school)  Move away from narration (high school) How Language Develops – Adolescence  Sophistication in the use of words increases  Adolescents make strides in understanding and using:  Metaphor o An implied comparison between unlike things  Satire o Use of irony, derision, or wit to expose folly or wickedness  Young adolescents often develop and speak a dialect of their own with their peers ...