Communication Development Flashcards
COMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT
Communication is the process of exchanging ideas and information
Important to understand that communication develops in a typical pattern
There are major milestones in language and speech development – birth to adolescent
Child must possess communication competency in order to effectively communicate
Communication Competency
Knowledge and awareness that speakers of a language possess and utilize to communicate.
More than speaking in grammatical sentences
Skilled navigation of both linguistic (language) and pragmatic (practical application) that enables successful communication
A speaker with communication competence knows how, where, when, and with whom to speak.
Communication Competence
Allows a speaker to fine-tune language across different contexts and with different speakers to communicate most effectively. Think of pitch, intonation, choice of grammar.
Example:
Child “Mary, want to go bye-bye?”
Adult “Mary, would you like to go to the movies with me?”
Components of Language
Complex combination of several rule systems Three Major components Form Syntax Morphology Phonology Content Meaning or semantics Use Pragmatics
SYNTAX
Form or structure of a sentence word order sentence organization relationships between words Specifies which word combinations are acceptable , or grammatically correct, and which are not.
MORPHOLOGY
Considered a sub-category of syntax
It is the internal organization of words
Words consist of one or more small units
Smallest unit of a grammar is a morpheme
Morphology enables the speaker to modify words and meanings
e.g. walk - walked – walking
dog – dogs
Mary – Mary'sPHONOLOGY
Each language has speech sounds and sound combinations that are characteristic of that language
Smallest meaningful unit of sound = phoneme
/r/ and /l/ are phonemes
Combined in specific ways to form words
By changing a phoneme you can change the meaning of a word
rot – lot cat - hat
hip – lip bat - fat
SEMANTICS
The relationship of language form to objects, events/relationships, and with words and word combinations Semantic features characterize words bachelor = unwed = male bachelors wife = meaningless unwed bachelor = redundant Two semantic features synonyms, antonyms
PRAGMATICS
Social appropriateness of language Cultural appropriateness Interactional competence body language, eye contact, physical proximity Ability to communicate for a variety of reasons request - reject – comment Practical application of rules of conversation Conversational rules turn taking opening topic maintenance closing conversation relevant contributions
Major Communication Milestones
Children achieve certain language and communication milestones at roughly the same age and same order
Follow a fairly predictable pattern of vocalizations (sounds) and verbalizations (words)
Phonation Stage
0 – 1 month First sounds are called reflexive sounds Include sounds of distress crying fussing Include vegetative sounds burping coughing
Cooing Stage
2 -3 months
Consonant like sounds
Produced typically when the infant is content
Expansion Stage
4 -6 months
Beginning to gain more control of the articulators
Beginning to play with loudness and pitch
Yell, growl, squeal and produce raspberries
Babbling
6 – 8 months
Beginning to produce true consonant and vowel combinations that are strung together
Reduplicative Babbling – consonant vowel combinations that are the same
ma – ma
da –da
Variegated Babbling – infant begins to use a wider range of sounds – comes toward the end of babbling stage.
mi – ma – da – di
Around this time child’s speech becomes echolalic – immediate imitation of some other speaker
Also begins to produce jargon – special type of babbling in which infants use melodic patterns
begins to rate, rhythm, stress and intonation
does not convey meaning
Emergence of Intentionality 7-12 months
begins to communicate intentions
Ma – Ma (raises arms)
First Words
12 months
Usually refers to objects in everyday life – mama, dada, kitty
Three criteria to be considered a true word
Clear intent and purpose
child petting dog and says doggie
Recognizable pronunciation
should be a close approximation
Must be used consistently in different contexts
Pets dog and says doggie, looks at picture of dog and says doggie, dog barks and says doggie
