Child language acquisition Flashcards
What are proto-words?
‘Made up’ words that a child will use to represent a word they might not yet be able to pronounce.
When does a child say their first word?
Around their first birthday
What is non-verbal communication?
All the ways communication occurs that do not involve words.
What is reduplication?
Repeated syllables within a word
What are diminutives?
The reduction in scale of an item through the way the word is created
What is addition?
Adding an additional suffix to the end of a word in order to change the way in which the word is produced and interpreted.
What is substitution?
The process of swapping one sound for another that is easier to produce.
What is assimilation?
One consonant or vowel is swapped for another.
What is deletion?
Omitting a particular sound within a word
What is consonant cluster reduction?
Reducing phonologically more complex units into simpler ones - from two or more consonants down to one.
What is Berko and Brown’s (1960) study?
It showed that a child rejecting an adult’s articulation of the word ‘fish’ as ‘fis’ in favour of the correct pronunciation.
The child continued to articulate the word as ‘fis’ however.
This shows that even though a child is unable to articulate the sound they understand that it is not correct.
When does the two-word stage take place?
Around 18 months.
What is the two-word stage?
When a child starts to put two words together to convey meaning. The utterance is more refined than the child’s previous holophrases as the potential meaning has narrowed.
What does the two-word stage show in a child’s development?
They are beginning to understand grammar for the first time, as they are demonstrating an understanding for the relationship between the words used.
What does the two-word stage coincide with?
The beginning of what is known as a ‘vocabulary spurt’. It is believed that from about 18 months onwards - or when a child has acquired between 50-100 words - a cognitive change occurs in children, as they begin to realise that all things around them have names and gain a ‘naming insight’ so they move from a slower lexical development to a period of more rapid acquisition.
How many words does a child acquire during the period when they gain a more rapid acquistion?
Two to three new words a day and it is generally thought that by the age of 2 a child will have acquired 300 words.
When does the telegraphic stage take place?
Around the age of 2.
What is the telepgraphic stage?
When a child will move from placing two words together to producing longer and more complete utterances.
What does the telegraphic stage include?
Include the key content words within the sentence to convey meaning, but will likely omit the grammatical words which are required for structural accuracy but are not necessary to convey meaning.
How many words will a child use in an utterance in the telegraphic stage?
Three words or more
When does the post-telegraphic stage take place?
Around the age of 3
What is the post-telegraphic stage?
When a child’s speech becomes increasingly like adult speech, since grammatical words that were previously omitted will now start to appear within a sentence alongside the consonant words.
What is expected by the age of 4 in the post-telegraphic stage?
The child be speaking in largely grammatically accurate and complete sentences.
What are content words?
Words within a sentence that are vital to convey meaning.