Child Development - Language Flashcards
What does a proficient user of language have knowledge of?
- phonology
- semantics
- syntax
- pragmatics
What is phonology?
- sounds = phonemes, group characteristic of each language e.g. s at the end for plurals
- combination rules for meaningful speech = can have st or sk but not sg or sb
What are semantics?
expressed meaning of words and sentences = morphemes (prefixes/suffixes, small words), smallest linguistic units that carry meaning, words that have the same pattern or similarity in meaning
What is syntax?
Form or structure of a language = combination rules for meaningful sentences
e.g. cannot have John Jim hit
What are pragmatics?
Rules about language in social contexts = what to say and how to say it e.g. please and thank you
At what age is the pre-linguistic period?
0-12 months
What are the characteristics of the pre-linguistic period?
- 3 forms of vocalisation = crying (first 3-4 weeks), cooing (3-5 weeks onwards), babbling (3-4 months) such as adding consonants and echolalia which is sound repetition
- dialogue returned by caregivers
- turn-taking and intonation, learn that words have a meaning
At 8-12 months what do words represent in terms of objects?
- associate object with its name
- verbal labels (not representations)
- overextending = a single word is used for multiple objects or concepts
At 18 months what do words represent in terms of objects?
- true symbolic representation
- word as substitute for object
- used for communication
- two word phrases e.g. more sing or all gone = telegraphic speech
After 2 years what do sentences contain?
- add verbs
- compound sentences e.g. and, so
- past tense
- logical errors e.g. ‘mouses gone away’
What happens between 3-5 years?
Interest in rhymes and songs
- listen for and keep a steady beat/rhythm
- retell and sing independently
- complete a rhyming sentence
- make strings of rhymes such e.g. cat and mat
Commentaries during play
Pre-sleep monologues
Emergence of narrative (actions to spoken stories and links to reading)
What did Skinner say about language acquisition? What are the features?
Language is learned through imitation and progressive reinforcement.
- Joint involvement episodes = one-to-one with adult and child, good predictor of vocab growth
- adopting helpful speech styles, attention eliciting techniques, timing of verbal input
- child directed speech (motherese)
What did Chomsky say about language acquisition?
- Language acquisition device (LAD which are inborn structures in our brain)
- universal grammar (innate)
- spontaneity of language (reinvented, generation after generation)
What is the critical period hypothesis (Lenneberg)?
- children before the age of 12 with brain damage, child can lose their entire left hemisphere and if that happens before the age of 5, their language functions will be fine.
- The right hemisphere takes on the language functions, there is some plasticity with adults as well just not as effective.
How can this be compared with animal behaviour?
All have basic language skills but cannot provide syntax and communicate abstract ideas.
- Koko gorilla with sign language
- Lexigrams in Kanzi and Panbanisha
