Child Language

Question 1

Skinner ( Behaviourist Theory )

Answer 1

• Children imitate language structures
• Parents correct and reinforce correct utterances
• However, some children overextend language forms suggesting language is not completely imitated.
• Children often make virtuous errors too this wouldn’t occur if all language was imitated.

Question 2

Chomsky ( Nativist Theory )

Answer 2

• Children are born with an innate capacity for language development
• The brain is ‘programmed’ to instantly begin to make sense of utterances
• Children have the LAD (language acquisition device )
  They use this to work out what language is acceptable or not

Question 3

Piaget ( Cognitive Theory )

Answer 3

• This suggests that linguistic structures can only be used if the child understands the concept behind it.
• They must understand the concept to linguistically express their wants

Question 4

Bruner ( Interactive Theory)

Answer 4

• Adults alter the way they talk to children. They use child-directed speech that uses simplified utterances, intonation and extra information.
• Adults will also expand on the child’s speech to enable the child to build on what they know.

Question 5

Vygotsky ( Zone of proximal development )

Answer 5

• Children learn by interacting with a more knowledgeable other. ( M.K.O also stated by Holt and Willard )
• The adult scaffolds language for the child
• He said imagination and pretend play is crucial to allow children to acquire language

Question 6

Phonological development

Answer 6

• Pre-verbal stage
• Holophrastic Stage:
• The first word produced, Children simplify lexis by
• Deletion, Assimilation,Addition, Substitution and consonant reduction

Question 7

Semantic Development

Answer 7

Pre-operational:

• 2-7: develop language and motor skills egocentric language used.
• Concrete Operational
• 7-11: Think logically about events
• Formal Operational
• 11+: Abstract skills developed.

Question 8

Grammatical Development Kroll’s stages of development

Answer 8

Holophrastic 11-18months
Two -Word 18-24months
- Telegraphic 2-5years:
- 3-5 word utterances and make rapid grammatical development
- Still, omit non-esential forms
Post Telegraphic 5+
- Struggle with auxiliary verbs and conjugation

Question 9

Halliday’s 7 functions of speech

Answer 9

The taxonomy levels of speech:

• Instrumental: satisfy material needs
• Regulatory: Used to control others
• Interactional: Maintain relationships
• Personal: Express feeling or opinions
• Heuristic: Seek information and ask questions
• Imaginative: Tell stories and play games
• Representational: Convey information, facts and ideas