Language Learning in Early Childhood

Language Learning in Early Childhood

1. Language acquisition is the process by which human acquire the capacity to perceive, comprehend and communicate using words and sentences.

   • THE FIRST 3 YEARS: The first three years are very important because are the earliest vocalization (involuntary sounds when baby cries). Babies start distinguishing the voice of their other and other speakers.
   • THE PRE-SCHOOL YEARS: At the age of 4 they almost acquire the basic structures of language. They begin to learn new vocabulary and develop their social environment with the used of language.
     • Three main first language acquisition perspectives.
       • The behaviorist perspective
         • When children imitated the language produced by those who surround them giving them positive reinforcement producing what they heard.
           • Children obtain successful communication
             • Children imitate and practice sounds and words by making patterns until the formed habits of the correct use of the language imitating those around them.
               • The language behavior will depend on the quality, quantity and the constancy from the adults.
                 • It's important to give children the correct and importance of the environment because it will depend their develop.
       • The innatist perspective
         • Chomsky's hypothesis said that all human languages are based on some innate perspectives
           • Children borne with some innate intelligence that reach on their own by discovering exactly what they need
             • The innatist perspective highlights the fact that almost all the children successfully acquire their native language or more than one language depending the multilingual community they belong to.
               • The language is separate from the cognitive development and is attached directly on a specific module of the brain
                 • The big problem comes whit children who are not given any access to language in infancy because they will never acquire language if it goes to long.
       • Interactionist / developmental perpectives
         • These perspective is based on the evidence of a critical period for language acquisition.
           • The language acquisition is influenced by the acquisition of other kinds skill and knowledge, apart from the largely independent of the children experiences.
             • Piaget: States that language is a system of symbols used to express knowledge by acquiring with the interaction with physical words.
               • Vygotsky: 1, Children are able to achieve a higher level of knowledge and performance independently if it exists supportive interactive environment. 2, ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT. 3 Social interactions are important to develop good reach of speech.
                 • CROSS CULTURAL RESEARCH: It studies the environment of children, the relationship between the acquisition and the environment and finally it includes family society and culture.
                   • THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERCTION: The importance of the relationship between the children and the interlocutor.
                     • USAGE BASED LEARNING: It is about the capacity of children and the connections they build between language they hear and the experienced they pass in it's environment.
   • THE SCHOOL YEARS: Language are forms as well as meaning, they develop new vocabulary and start using poems, word jokes and riddles. Reading becomes part of their daily learning.

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