Language development

Lecture 1

It is important..
Because we need to understand how children learn to communicate and also ways adults can promote childrens language development

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Theoretical views
Behaviorist view (Skinner, 1957) - Children learn language primarily through positive reinforcement from parents. Innatist view (Chomsky, 1972) - Inborn factors are the most important component of language development

Interactionist view (Piaget,1926 & Vygotsky1962)

- Language develops through a combination of inborn factors and environmental influences

Behaviourist
Language development is that childrens language learning is shaped primarily by the responses of parents.
Parents reinforce by smiling, cuddling and verbalizing

mama redouble their positive feedback to the baby

Encourage baby to repeat Reinforcement becomes more specific to produce adult like language

Innatist view
Children are born with a linguistic structure Born with an instinct to learn language It is linked to biological maturation and follows an internal clock, which will emerge during the critical age for language acquisition. Language is triggered by exposure to verbal communication in the environment.

Interactionist view
Suggest that there is a combination of inborn and environmental factors. Internal readiness and reinforcement from positive interactions with adults are needed. Social environment, maturation, biology and cognition interact and modify with each other Cognitive interactionist view and social interactionist

Cognitive interactionist
Ability to mentally represent objects Language is one way of expressing representational or symbolic thought

Social interactionist
Language is intimately tied to social processes. Social interaction that triggers language is a two way operation, ie children cue their parents, and parents in turn, supply appropriate language experiences. Vygotsky consider that young childs primary social tool is language.

Uses of language
Write down 8 ways in which children may use language 1. ______________ 2. ______________ 3. ______________ 4. ______________ 5. ______________ Age 2 or 3 years children use language to help them control their behaviour and thoughts.. So talking aloud

answer
Socializing with others

Asking questions
Describing events and objects Predicting and anticipating For self-direction Assertiveness Giving explanation and instructions Gaining reassurance and help

Stages of language development

Pre-linguistic stage
Babbles, universal therefore born with some instinct to communicate with others Pointing or showing objects

Linguistic stage
12 months: Create own words for objects/person and use consistently Holophrases

Telegraphic speech
Learning the rules --- virtuous errors

Components of language development

Listening

Expressive language
Facial expression Gesture Reading Writing Sign language Drawing and painting

Multilingual children
Speak more than one language More creative in their thinking Need to master their home language

Community
Racism Embarrassment Rejection

Language delay in children

Physical condition such as cleft palate or enlarged tongue Learning difficulties e.g. autism Hearing impairments

Stutters or stammers
Shyness Lack of stimulation and language input More than one language being learnt

Difficulties in communication
Stutters or stammers
Their minds are working faster than their tongue Afraid that another child will interrupt them

Will grow out or becomes a habit

How to help
Show that you are listening to them Eye contact, sitting down with the child and smiling.. Relax and calm their speech dont finish their sentences

Promoting childrens language

Refer handout

Communicating with children

Make eye contact Smile and look patient Allow children time to think about what they want to say

Do not finish sentences for them

Do not interrupt to hurry them along Listen to what children are saying!

 Correct grammar by echoing back their sentence correctly He took your ball, did he? Ask open questions e.g. What are you doing? rather than closed questions, which can be answered with only one word e.g. Are you enjoying that? Make sure that you are speaking clearly and correctly

If you really do not have time to listen properly, explain this to the child and suggest a time when will be able to listen and make sure that you do!
Be sensitive to the needs of bilingual and multilingual children