CLA - Spoken - Initial (pre-verbal) Stages Of Language Development

Question 1

True or false: babies can’t learn to speak using the TV

Answer 1

True: whilst you can pick up some vocab/lexis from the TV but it lacks the interactive dimension required for language acquisition

Question 2

True or false: it’s easier to sign first words

Answer 2

True: signing words is generally easier than articulating

Question 3

True or false: baby talk was started by babies

Answer 3

True: adult versions however reflect the way that babies speak and to some extent adults will teach their children this language

Question 4

True or false: acquiring two languages at the same time doesn’t slow down the rate of acquisition

Answer 4

False: acquiring two languages at the same time does tend to slow down the rate of acquisition

Question 5

In Michael Hallidays taxonomy what are the seven functions of a child’s language

Answer 5

-instrumental
-regulatory
-interactional
-personal
-representational
-heuristic
-imaginative

Question 6

Michael Hallidays taxonomy: instrumental definition

Answer 6

-Language used to fulfil a need on the part of the speaker
-directly concerned with obtaining food, drink, comfort

Question 7

Michael Hallidays taxonomy: regulatory definition

Answer 7

-language used to influence the behaviours of others
-initially an extension of this, persuading/commanding/requesting other people to do thing you want

Question 8

Michael Hallidays taxonomy: interactional definition

Answer 8

-language used to develop social relationships and ease the process of interaction
-the phatic dimension of talk

Question 9

Michael Hallidays taxonomy: personal definition

Answer 9

-language used to express the personal preferences and identity of the speaker

Question 10

Michael Hallidays taxonomy: representational definition

Answer 10

-language used to exchange information
-relaying or requesting information

Question 11

Michael Hallidays taxonomy: heuristic definition

Answer 11

-language used to learn and explore the environment
-using language to learn - this may be questions and answers, or the kind of running commentary that frequently accompanies children’s play

Question 12

Michael Hallidays taxonomy: imaginative definition

Answer 12

-language used to explore the imagination
-may also accompany play as children create imaginary worlds, or may arise from storytelling

Question 13

What are John Dores 8 child language functions

Answer 13

-labelling
-repeating
-answering
-requesting action
-calling
-greeting
-protesting
-practicing

Question 14

John Dore: labelling definition

Answer 14

Simply naming or identifying a person, object or experience

Question 15

John dore: repeating definition

Answer 15

Echoing something as spoken by an adult speaker

Question 16

John dore: answering definition

Answer 16

Giving a direct response to an utterance from another speaker

Question 17

John dore: requesting action definition

Answer 17

Demanding food, drink, a toy, assistance etc.

Question 18

John dore: calling definition

Answer 18

Attracting attention by shouting

Question 19

John dore: greeting definition

Answer 19

Self evident

Question 20

John dore: protesting

Answer 20

Objecting to requests, etc

Question 21

John dore: practising definition

Answer 21

Using and repeating language when no adult is present

Question 22

Language develops in 5 different stages. Can you name them?

Answer 22

1) pre-verbal
2)holophrastic
3)two-word stage
4)telegraphic stage
5)post-telegraphic stage

Question 23

What is the difference between the telegraphic and post-telegraphic stage?

Answer 23

-telegraphic stage: almost looks like a sentence but some small words missing
-post-telegraphic stage: talking in typically accurate full sentences

Question 25

What did Dell Hume’s mean by “communicative competence”

Answer 25

Communicative competence is the knowledge that speakers and listeners have in order to communicate appropriately in different social contexts

Question 26

When do babies start babbling

Answer 26

6 months

Question 27

Stage 1: pre-verbal stage: what 5 terms did David Crystal coin to describe the pre-verbal stage (in order)

Answer 27

1)biological noises 2)cooing and laughing 3)vocal play 4)babbling 5)melodic utterances

Question 28

David crystal: biological noises definition

Answer 28

Vomiting, coughing, burping, crying, a low cooing sound etc. These are common to the whole human race: there are no Icelandic burps or Thai cries

Question 29

David Crystal: cooing laughing definition

Answer 29

Produced when the baby is in a settled state. These are short vowel-like sounds. “Quieter, lower pitched and more musical than biological noises”. Some consonant-like sounds came from the back of the throat. The baby is beginning to develop control over the vocal muscles

Question 30

David Crystal: vocal play definition

Answer 30

A controlled single vowel-like or consonant-like sound. More varied than babbling but much less controlled

Question 31

David Crystal: babbling definition

Answer 31

The baby produces phonemes, often in the form of combinations of vowels and consonants (e.g. ma, ga, ba, baba, gaga). These sounds are largely those that appear in the child’s native tongue

Question 32

David Crystal: melodic utterance definition

Answer 32

Melody, rhythm and intonation develop. Parents assume that these sounds have different functions: questioning, exclaiming, greeting etc. Babies of different nationalities would sound increasingly different from each other