Introduction
Language can be seen or heard. It can be diverse or standard. Language has many uses, functions and meanings. It can be individual or social. Clark (1996, as cited by Hayes and Gee, 2011, p.6) states that language can be made up of a set of rules that enable us to speak grammatically, making language a cognitive phenomenon. Language is diverse; it can be written, spoken, symbolic and even physically felt with fingertips. Language can be heard: oral language has been present since the beginning of time, it is an innate feature of humans and animals. On the contrary, language can be seen: written language has been estimated present for the last 3000-8000 years (Sampson, 1990, as cited by Hayes and Gee, 2011, p.7). Although, written
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Typically, the first year of a child’s life focuses on motor skills. It is not until the second year, that language development begins to take the main focus on the child’s life. Language is an innate feature that we are all born with, however if a child’s environment is not a loving, positive, safe or happy environment, the development of language may become flawed or disrupted (Shiver, 2016). For this reason, it is essential to provide children with an environment they can trust, and feel safe and secure. This process can be referred to as the nature nurture theory. Research shows us that there are windows of opportunity throughout one’s life to be able to acquire and develop language. The development of syntax and grammar takes place during the preschool years and can end at ages five to six (Shiver, 2016). However, in saying this, the ability to learn new words is always possible and for this reason, new words can be learnt all throughout life. Piaget, the Swiss psychologist, has been extremely influential in the studies of child development. Piaget claimed that there are four stages where children can cognitively function. His studies show that children are born into the Sensorimotor Stage. This stage lasts until the child is around two years old. It is towards the end of this stage that the development of language starts becoming the focus of the child’s life, and up until the age of two, the acquired language is basically cooing or other sounds made by the mouth, until the age of two where language can consist of basic words or sentences. The child’s acquired language is mimicked and copied from their parents and those around them, learning the sound patterns of words and conversations and also the skill of taking turns, which is essential for conversation (Shiver, 2016). The next stage of development defined by Piaget is the Preoperational Stage. This stage lasts
When most people think of the process of language development in “normal” children, the concepts that come to mind are of babies imitating, picking up sounds and words from the speakers around them. Trying to imagine that a child who cannot hear one single sound a person makes can learn to speak a language is absolutely fascinating. These children range from amazin...
This essay is about a child’s development and learning, focusing primarily on language development. It will describe the main stages of developmental "milestones" and the key concepts involved for children to develop their language skills, discussing language acquisition and social learning theory. The essay will also look into the key theorists involved in language development, primarily Vygotsky and Chomsky, and how these theories have had an impact on the way society views language and their implementation within schools. The essay will describe the factors affecting language development, both biological and environmental. While also discussing key arguments among theorists, one being the nature vs nurture debate, and how these play a part in the teaching in schools.
“Because brain development is so heavily dependent on early experience, most babies will receive the right kind of nurturing from their earliest days, through our loving urges and parenting instincts. “there are so many things that I’ve read that could make a baby smarter like reading to them while pregnant or even talking to them so the brain can develop the right way while in the womb but loving your child and catering to them is the right way and will eventually lead them to the right path to learn. Yes, speaking to your child and listening to them can and will critically develop the brains –building years. Parents do forget that a child’s developments are not when school begins but before that. If a child comes from a home that listens and speaks when the other one is done and knows manners the child will develop that and learn that is the right way to go about things as oppose to a house hold who may talk over each, shout or even hit their brains will pick all that up like a sponge. So talking to your child and actually listening to them is one of the best brain developments. “Language is fundamental to most of the rest of cognitive development, this simple action—talking and listening to your child—is one of the best ways to make the most of his or her critical brain-building years.” (Zero to
Since the beginning of time, fathers have had a profound effect on their child’s development. Over the years, the norm for traditional family dynamics of having a father figure in the household has changed drastically, and so did the roles of the parents. It is not as common as it used to be to have a father or father figure in the home. In this day and age, women are more likely to raise children on their own and gain independence without the male assistance due to various reasons. The most significant learning experience and development of a person’s life takes place in their earlier years when they were children. There are many advantages when there is a mother and father combined in a
Piaget also believed that children would only learn when they are ready. Children's use of language represents their stage in cognitive development, but he didn’t see language as a ‘central’ to children's development, as cognitive development begins at birth and is required for language development. He also states that children are egocentric – they can’t understand another person’s point of view. Criticisms of Piaget’s work = =
Children’s development in all aspects are influenced by genetic composition (Nature) and the environment in which they grow (Nurture). They are influenced by all adults in which they come into significant contact. Smiling at someone unfamiliar or speaking to a stranger is less likely to have a lasting impact on the child or their development. However, parents and immediate family have the most impact on a child’s development. A family is defined as at least one adult and one child who live together and in which the adult is control of the child’s life and behavior as well as demonstrates responsible care for the child (McDevitt & Ormand, 2013). Parents are the primary educators and caregivers,
The second stage of cognitive development is Preoperational Stage (age 2 to age 7). During this stage, children’s “vocabulary and grammatical structures rapidly develops” (Ormrod, 2012, 149), and children uses their “intuition rather than on conscious awareness of logical principles” (Ormrod, 2012, 149).
This essay is going to illustrate the different stages in language acquisition that children pass through and elicit the theories in accordance.
How do children acquire language? What are the processes of language acquisition? How do infants respond to speech? Language acquisition is the process of learning a native or a second language. Although how children learn to speak is not perfectly understood, most explanations involve both the observations that children copy what they hear and the inference that human beings have a natural aptitude for understanding grammar. Children usually learn the sounds and vocabulary of their native language through imitation, (which helps them learn to pronounce words correctly), and grammar is seldom taught to them, but instead that they rapidly acquire the ability to speak grammatically. Though, not all children learn by imitation alone. Children will produce forms of language that adults never say. For example, “I spilled milk on hisself” or “Debbie wants a cookie”. This demonstrates that children have the desire to speak correctly and have self-motivating traits to communicate. This supports the theory of Noam Chomsky (1972)-that children are able to learn grammar of a particular language because all intelligible languages are founded on a deep structure of universal grammatical rules that corresponds to an innate capacity of the human brain. Adults learning a second language pass through some of the same stages, as do children learning their native language. In the first part of this paper I will describe the process of language acquisition. The second part will review how infants respond to speech.
Piaget believes functions of language develops over four stages which are, the sensorimotor stage, the preoperational stage, the concrete operational stage, and the formal operational stage. To briefly explain each of these children develop the sensorimotor stage from ages 0 – 2 years, Piaget sees language at this stage as more physical where children experiment with their mouths and learn to repeat parents sounds. The pre-operational stage from ages 2 – 7 years, is when children talk more and have the ability to solve problems about stories on specific and concrete facts. The concrete operational stage begins at about age 6 or 7 when children can work things out in their mind and explain their reasoning. The formal operational stage begins at 11 or 12 years when children use abstract reason and can use language to express and discuss things found in subjects such as mathematics or philosophy. Piaget highlights the roles of language in children’s lives by describing the functions of language. (McDevitt, Ormrod, Cupit, Chandler and Aloa, 2013, p. 209 –
Jean Piaget’s influence on this developmental area allows us to better understand preoperational thought, egocentrism, and conservation. According to Piaget, preoperational thought is when a child is now able to understand symbolic play and have the ability to imagine something even if it is not physically there. Having these thoughts and abilities can encourage a child to use language to describe their play (Piaget, 1951). Another great example is using art to convey this growth. When a child draws, they are using their memories, mental representations of people, and things around them to put it down on paper! Being able to describe their surroundings is largely made possible by hearing people talk around them. Vygotsky believed children are able to build on cognitive structures by hearing social speech around them. Equally as important as social speech, is a child’s private speech. In early childhood, a child’s private speech will not only help them practice using the newly acquired language, but also learn to internalize dialog for mental activity (Vygotsky, 1962). A great way to improve upon these skills is to ask a child open ended questions to encourage them to use their words. Language will flourish and children will now have the ability to have conversations and tell stories about the things they imagine. While children are learning how to use their words during symbolic
Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development describes his belief that children try to actively make sense of the world rather than simply absorbing knowledge as previously thought. Piaget’s theory claims that as children grow and develop they experience four different cognitive stages of life. As a child grows through each stage they not only learn new information but the way he or she thinks also changes. “In other words, each new stage represents a fundamental shift in how the child thinks and understands the world” (Hockenbury, page 368).The first stage of Piaget’s theory, known as the sensorimotor stage, begins at birth and continues on until about age 2. As the name suggest, this stage is when children begin to discover
The aim of this essay is to explore language acquisition and compare and contrast different theories of language acquisition and language development. Language in its most basic form is used to communicate our needs and wants. It encompasses a range of modes of delivery including signing, spoken and written words, posture, eye contact, facial expressions and gestures. So how do we learn ‘language’? Are we born with the skills for communication, or is it something that we have to learn or have taught to us? Four theories are looked at in this essay to determine how children acquire and then develop language. These theories include behaviourist, nativist, cognitivist and sociocultural. This essay will highlight some similarities and differences in each theory and what impact these have on a child’s acquisition and development of language. Lastly we will look at the implications of these theories when working with children. Can a classroom teacher deliver a quality literacy program based on just one of these theories or does it need to incorporate components of all four? Sims, (2012) pp. 21 states ‘’High-quality learning experiences in the early years of life enhance children’s cognitive and language skills’’. This places a great responsibility on educators and teachers alike to provide an environment which is rich in learning opportunities that will encourage both the acquisition and development of language.
Further in this term-paper I am going to describe the stages in child language acquistion starting from the very birth of an infant till the onset of puberty.
To start with, I do not want to narrowly define language as merely verbal communication. Language is far broader than that. In a few seconds a person walking past you on the street could tell you more about themselves with a sincere smile than they could with a few rushed words. Language encompasses all aspects of communication that enhance the level of our interaction. The tone in our voice demonstrating our feelings on a topic or our body language indicating our level of interest are just as important in interaction as verbally communicating content. There for I define language as any act that is involved in the interaction between two or more people.