Section 7- Child Language Acquistion

Section 7- Child Language Acquistion

1. Child Learning stages

   • Cooing
     • Babbling
       • Phonological and Pragmatic development
         • Age 1
           • Age 5+
             • Coordinating conjunctions
               • (to link separate utterances) e.g- like, and, but
             • Negatives
               • e.g- don't
             • Questions
               • e.g- who, where, what
             • Inflections
               • e.g: -ED, -ING, -S
           • 1. Holophrases (First words)
             • 2. Beginning of Syntax (Two-word stage)
               • 3. Telegraphic stage (3+ words)
                 • 3. 2years old= four word combinations
                   • e.g- Jodie want cup
               • 2. Syntax=18months
                 • 2. create grammatical relationships between words
                   • e.g- baby crying, catch ball
             • 1. single words form a complete idea
         • vowels, consonants
         • simplification (deletion, substitution, cluster-reduction)
         • Intonation
         • Functions
         • Addition
         • Voicing/ de-voicing
         • Reduplication
         • Assimilation
       • using consonants
       • melodic utterance
     • experimenting with vowels (sounds)

2. Caretaker langauge

   • Phonology
     • higher pitch
     • exaggerate tone to distinguish sentence functions
     • sing-song voice
     • longer pauses
     • slower speech
   • Semantics/ Lexis
     • simple/ restricted vocabulary
     • diminutive forms
     • repeated vocabulary
     • adopt child language
     • concrete nouns
     • extending nouns and noun phrases
   • Grammar
     • fewer verbs and tenses
     • shorter sentences
     • simple sentences
     • stretch language skills progressively
     • more imperatives and tag questions
     • personal names rather than pronouns
   • Pragmatics
     • recasting
     • warm body langauge
     • imitation and reinforcement
     • echo child language
     • gestures to accompany words

3. Lexis, Grammar and Semantics

   • first words relate to immediate surroundings
   • Nelson (1973) studied the first 50 words of 18 children and grouped them into 5 catagories
     • classes of objects formed the largest group- easier for kids to identify things they can touch
   • 12-18 months=underextension and overextension-improvising

4. More Grammar acquisition

   • Inflections used around 20months old
   • Inflections learnt in 3 stages: Inconsistent usage
     • Consistent usage- sometimes misapplied
       • Consistent usage

5. Reading and Writing

   • 3 main approaches to teaching kids to read:
     • the phonics approach- sounds
       • the look and say. whole word stage- sight and memory
         • the psycholinguistics approach- natural development, enviornment and chance
   • developing reading skills depends on the child's age:
     • up to age 5= read stories, physical appearence turning pages, pointing to letters ect
       • 5-6 years old= break down words into sounds and get them to match letters and sounds
         • 6-7 years old= read aloud, talk
           • 7-8 years old= different genres able to discuss
   • Writing also develops in stages
     • 5-6 years old= write some letters and words
       • 6-7 years old= punctuation, can express personal intrests
         • 7-8 years old= write for different purposes and audiences can check work for errors
   • teachers and caregivers also help children develop writing skills

6. Language for Children

   • caregivers talk to children in a particular way
     • called child-directed speech (CDS)
       • simplified, exaggerated or encouraging speech to get a child to interact
   • (CDS) has distinctive linguistic features
     • intonation
     • slow pace
     • long pauses
     • simple vocab
     • repetition
     • present tense
   • To encourage language development caregivers:
     • repeat
     • question- to encourage the child to respond
     • and use loads of imperitives
     • recast (re-present information in a different way)
     • expand on what children say