Social Interaction

Question 1

Social interaction theory

Answer 1

Vygotsky

Question 2

Proposed that

Answer 2

• Children are social beings who acquire language in order to ensure their needs are met
• Early language is like any other biologically based attachment behaviour, e.g. smiling, following a parent, or crying if a parent leaves
• It serves the social and affective needs of both infants and their parents
• Adults act as a L.A.S.S (Language Acquisition Support System)
• Vygotsky also suggested that role play and pretend play act as important areas of interaction with peers and care-givers which provides a further aspect of the LASS

Question 3

CDS

Answer 3

Child directed speech

• CDS is a key feature of language acquisition which often takes place in ritualised activities such as bedtime, meals or bath-time
• Many linguistics agree that this form of early interaction is a critical aspect of language attainment

Question 4

Features of CDS

Answer 4

• Repetition of words or sentence frames
• A higher pitch
• Use of child’s name rather than pronouns
• Use of the present tense
• One word utterances and elliptical
• Fewer modifiers
• Concrete nouns
• Expansion and recasts
• Yes/no questioning
• Exaggerated pausing/tag questions which provide turn-taking cues
• Para-linguistic features for example smiling/gesturing