Language development begins remarkably early and involves learning to understand, produce, and use language. This lesson introduces early communication, the distinction between receptive and expressive language, and major explanations of how children acquire language.
Language learning starts in infancy, and some research suggests it begins before birth. Fetuses may become familiar with the sound patterns of their mother's voice. After birth, infants can recognize familiar voices and gradually distinguish speech sounds. By around six months, many babies babble; by about ten months, they can distinguish speech sounds and engage in increasingly speech-like vocal play.
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What is receptive language?
The ability to perceive and understand language. It generally develops before children can produce words reliably.
What is expressive language?
The ability to communicate by producing language. Before words, infants express intentions through gestures, gaze, crying, and vocalizations.
What are the LAD and universal grammar?
The language acquisition device is a proposed inborn capacity for learning language. Universal grammar is the hypothesis that some structural principles are innate and shared across languages.
How do empiricist theories explain language learning?
They propose that children learn from linguistic input using general learning processes, such as imitation and detecting patterns, rather than requiring a language-specific innate device.
What do interactionist theories emphasize?
They emphasize that children learn language through meaningful social communication, in which their abilities and interactions with other people both matter.
Quiz questions
Deaf and hearing infants can both babble. What does this finding suggest about early babbling?Answer: It is not simply imitation of speech heard from others.
A child uses the word “dog” for dogs, cats, and other animals. What is this meaning error called?Answer: Overextension
A child says “cookie now,” and an adult replies, “Would you like a cookie now?” Which caregiver strategy is the adult using?Answer: Recasting the child's utterance in a more grammatical form
In Kroll's account of writing development, what characterizes the differentiation phase?Answer: Recognizing that written language often differs from casual speech.
What is a careful conclusion about research on bilingualism and children's language development?Answer: Findings vary, so skills should be considered across languages and contexts.