How children develop grammatical rules Flashcards
What is the typical age range for the holophrastic stage in child language development?
Approximately 12 to 18 months.
Define the two-word stage in child language acquisition.
A developmental phase, typically around 18 to 24 months, where children begin to combine two words to form simple sentences, such as ‘want cookie.’
What characterizes the telegraphic stage of language development?
Children use three or more words in a sentence, often omitting less critical words, resembling telegrams; for example, ‘Daddy go work.’
At what age do children usually enter the telegraphic stage?
Around 24 to 30 months.
What is overgeneralization in children’s grammatical development?
Applying a grammatical rule too broadly, such as using ‘runned’ instead of ‘ran.’
Who proposed the concept of the Language Acquisition Device (LAD)?
Noam Chomsky.
What is the significance of the LAD in language development?
It suggests that children are born with an innate ability to acquire language.
Define ‘virtuous errors’ in the context of child language acquisition.
Logical mistakes made by children as they apply learned grammatical rules, indicating their understanding of language patterns.
What role does caregiver speech play in grammatical development?
Caregivers often use simplified language structures, known as child-directed speech, to model correct grammar for children.
Explain the concept of ‘scaffolding’ in language development.
Support provided by caregivers through modeling and feedback to help children develop language skills.
What is the critical period hypothesis in language acquisition?
The theory that there is a specific time frame during which language acquisition occurs most easily, typically before puberty.
How does the concept of ‘object permanence’ relate to language development?
Understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of sight, which supports the development of nouns and naming.
What is the role of imitation in children’s grammatical development?
Children often mimic the speech patterns of adults, aiding in the acquisition of correct grammar.
Define ‘morpheme’ in the context of language development.
The smallest unit of meaning in a language, such as prefixes, suffixes, or root words.
What is the significance of morpheme acquisition order in children?
Children tend to acquire certain grammatical morphemes in a predictable sequence, reflecting cognitive development.
Explain the term ‘syntax’ in language development.
The set of rules that govern the structure of sentences, including word order and agreement.
How does the development of syntax manifest in early childhood?
Children progress from simple two-word combinations to more complex sentence structures as they age.
What is the difference between ‘receptive’ and ‘expressive’ language skills?
Receptive skills involve understanding language, while expressive skills involve producing language.
How do ‘recasts’ by caregivers influence grammatical development?
When caregivers repeat a child’s incorrect utterance in the correct form, it provides a model for proper grammar.
What is the role of ‘turn-taking’ in language development?
Engaging in conversational exchanges helps children understand the pragmatic aspects of language use, including grammar.
What is the first stage of question formation in children’s language development?
Children initially use rising intonation on single words or simple phrases to indicate a question, such as saying ‘Daddy?’ to mean ‘Is that Daddy?’
At what stage do children begin to use ‘wh-‘ question words like ‘what’ and ‘where’?
During the two-word stage, typically around 18 to 24 months, children start using ‘wh-‘ words to form basic questions, such as ‘Where ball?’
How do children form negative statements in the earliest stage of negation?
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.’
What characterizes the second stage of negation development in children?
Children begin to insert the negative word within the sentence, typically after the subject, such as ‘I no want it.’
When do children start using auxiliary verbs in negative statements?
In the later stages of negation development, children incorporate auxiliary verbs and proper negation, forming sentences like ‘I don’t want it.’
How do children’s question structures evolve during the telegraphic stage?
They begin forming more complex questions by adding auxiliary verbs and proper word order, such as ‘Can I have that?’
What is a common error children make when forming negative questions?
Children might double-mark negation, saying ‘Don’t you don’t like it?’ instead of ‘Don’t you like it?’
How does the understanding of subject-auxiliary inversion develop in children’s question formation?
Children gradually learn to invert the subject and auxiliary verb to form questions, moving from ‘You are coming?’ to ‘Are you coming?’
At what age do children typically master the use of negative contractions like ‘isn’t’ and ‘doesn’t’?
Mastery usually occurs between ages 3 and 4, as children’s grasp of negation becomes more sophisticated.
How does the development of question and negation structures reflect a child’s cognitive growth?
It demonstrates increasing syntactic awareness and the ability to manipulate language rules to express complex thoughts and inquiries.
