UNIT 1 - LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

Question 1

In language development, from 0-3 months an infant can…

Answer 1

• make mouth movements in response to their parents

- cries to ask for food or comfort

Question 2

In language development, from 6-12 months an infant can…

Answer 2

• understand some words such as ‘bye bye’

- make sounds such as ‘gaga’

Question 3

In language development,, from 18 months an infant can…

Answer 3

• can say between six and ten words

- can follow simple instructions

Question 4

In language development, from 2-3 years a child in their early childhood can…

Answer 4

• link words together

- vocab increases to aprox 200 words at 2 and a half years.

Question 5

In language development, from 3-5 years a child in their early childhood can…

Answer 5

• use simple sentences
• ask questions
• may use incorrect forms of words

Question 6

In language development, from 8 years a child in their early childhood can…

Answer 6

• speak in complex sentences

- can reason and explain

Question 7

In language development, from 9-19 a person in their adolescence years can…

Answer 7

• can keep developing their vocab

- use language to explore abstract thoughts

Question 8

What did Noam Chomsky’s LAD theory describe?

Answer 8

• explains how children develop language

- based on a nativist theory that believes humans are programmed to develop in a certain way

Question 9

what is a nativist theory?

Answer 9

humans are believed to be programmed to develop in a certain way

Question 10

What does the LAD mean?

Answer 10

Language Acquisition Device

Question 11

what did Chomsky propose about the LAD?

Answer 11

-proposed it as the hypothetical part of the human mind that allows infants to acquire and produce language.

Question 12

Chomsky, Using the LAD, suggested that humans…

Answer 12

• are born with a structure in their brain that allows them to acquire language
• have a critical period for first language development in the first early years of their life
• all follow the same pattern of language development
• have an innate understanding of the structure of language (called universal grammar) which is the basis of all languages (subject, verb, obejct)

Question 13

what are the criticisms of Chomsky’s LAD theory?

Answer 13

• lack of scientific evidence of innate understanding of structure of language
• the rate of language development is affected by the amount of interactions with others.
• does not take into account that a language acquisition support system is required.
• Chomsky put emphasis on grammar rather that meaning in sentence development.