How children develop grammatical rules

Question 1

What is the typical age range for the holophrastic stage in child language development?

Answer 1

Approximately 12 to 18 months.

Question 2

Define the two-word stage in child language acquisition.

Answer 2

A developmental phase, typically around 18 to 24 months, where children begin to combine two words to form simple sentences, such as ‘want cookie.’

Question 3

What characterizes the telegraphic stage of language development?

Answer 3

Children use three or more words in a sentence, often omitting less critical words, resembling telegrams; for example, ‘Daddy go work.’

Question 4

At what age do children usually enter the telegraphic stage?

Answer 4

Around 24 to 30 months.

Question 5

What is overgeneralization in children’s grammatical development?

Answer 5

Applying a grammatical rule too broadly, such as using ‘runned’ instead of ‘ran.’

Question 6

Who proposed the concept of the Language Acquisition Device (LAD)?

Answer 6

Noam Chomsky.

Question 7

What is the significance of the LAD in language development?

Answer 7

It suggests that children are born with an innate ability to acquire language.

Question 8

Define ‘virtuous errors’ in the context of child language acquisition.

Answer 8

Logical mistakes made by children as they apply learned grammatical rules, indicating their understanding of language patterns.

Question 9

What role does caregiver speech play in grammatical development?

Answer 9

Caregivers often use simplified language structures, known as child-directed speech, to model correct grammar for children.

Question 10

Explain the concept of ‘scaffolding’ in language development.

Answer 10

Support provided by caregivers through modeling and feedback to help children develop language skills.

Question 11

What is the critical period hypothesis in language acquisition?

Answer 11

The theory that there is a specific time frame during which language acquisition occurs most easily, typically before puberty.

Question 12

How does the concept of ‘object permanence’ relate to language development?

Answer 12

Understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of sight, which supports the development of nouns and naming.

Question 13

What is the role of imitation in children’s grammatical development?

Answer 13

Children often mimic the speech patterns of adults, aiding in the acquisition of correct grammar.

Question 14

Define ‘morpheme’ in the context of language development.

Answer 14

The smallest unit of meaning in a language, such as prefixes, suffixes, or root words.

Question 15

What is the significance of morpheme acquisition order in children?

Answer 15

Children tend to acquire certain grammatical morphemes in a predictable sequence, reflecting cognitive development.

Question 16

Explain the term ‘syntax’ in language development.

Answer 16

The set of rules that govern the structure of sentences, including word order and agreement.

Question 17

How does the development of syntax manifest in early childhood?

Answer 17

Children progress from simple two-word combinations to more complex sentence structures as they age.

Question 18

What is the difference between ‘receptive’ and ‘expressive’ language skills?

Answer 18

Receptive skills involve understanding language, while expressive skills involve producing language.

Question 19

How do ‘recasts’ by caregivers influence grammatical development?

Answer 19

When caregivers repeat a child’s incorrect utterance in the correct form, it provides a model for proper grammar.

Question 20

What is the role of ‘turn-taking’ in language development?

Answer 20

Engaging in conversational exchanges helps children understand the pragmatic aspects of language use, including grammar.

Question 21

What is the first stage of question formation in children’s language development?

Answer 21

Children initially use rising intonation on single words or simple phrases to indicate a question, such as saying ‘Daddy?’ to mean ‘Is that Daddy?’

Question 22

At what stage do children begin to use ‘wh-‘ question words like ‘what’ and ‘where’?

Answer 22

During the two-word stage, typically around 18 to 24 months, children start using ‘wh-‘ words to form basic questions, such as ‘Where ball?’

Question 23

How do children form negative statements in the earliest stage of negation?

Answer 23

In the initial stage, children place the negative word ‘no’ or ‘not’ at the beginning or end of a sentence, for example, ‘No want juice’ or ‘Want juice no.’

Question 24

What characterizes the second stage of negation development in children?

Answer 24

Children begin to insert the negative word within the sentence, typically after the subject, such as ‘I no want it.’

Question 25

When do children start using auxiliary verbs in negative statements?

Answer 25

In the later stages of negation development, children incorporate auxiliary verbs and proper negation, forming sentences like ‘I don’t want it.’

Question 26

How do children’s question structures evolve during the telegraphic stage?

Answer 26

They begin forming more complex questions by adding auxiliary verbs and proper word order, such as ‘Can I have that?’

Question 27

What is a common error children make when forming negative questions?

Answer 27

Children might double-mark negation, saying ‘Don’t you don’t like it?’ instead of ‘Don’t you like it?’

Question 28

How does the understanding of subject-auxiliary inversion develop in children’s question formation?

Answer 28

Children gradually learn to invert the subject and auxiliary verb to form questions, moving from ‘You are coming?’ to ‘Are you coming?’

Question 29

At what age do children typically master the use of negative contractions like ‘isn’t’ and ‘doesn’t’?

Answer 29

Mastery usually occurs between ages 3 and 4, as children’s grasp of negation becomes more sophisticated.

Question 30

How does the development of question and negation structures reflect a child’s cognitive growth?

Answer 30

It demonstrates increasing syntactic awareness and the ability to manipulate language rules to express complex thoughts and inquiries.