AQA English Language - Child Language Development 1

Prescriptivists

Regarded as “purists”, they believe there is an accepted “correct form” of English

Descriptivists

Support the idea of language evolution, not language decay. Do not believe any variety is superior to another and simply describe language change.

Dr Samuel Johnson

Published first dictionary in 1775. Believed in language decay and correct forms.

Babbling

Linguists term early expressions of communication as proto-forms or vocables. Babbling is made from rising and falling intonation.

Stage of Development: 1

Birth to 8 weeks:

• Basic noises. States of hunger and pain lead to reflexive noises.

• These reflex noises can be identified from birth to 4 months

Stage of Development: 2

8 - 20 weeks

• Cooing and laughing

• Responds to speech and smiles

• Quieter and lower pitch than crying

Stage of Development: 3

20 - 30 weeks

• Marked by vocal play.

• Sounds are steadier and longer

• Builds on cooing with open vowel sounds

Stage of Development: 4

25 - 50 weeks

• Babbling stage

• Reduplicated babbling “dadadada”

• Both consonant and vowel sounds

Stage of Development: 5

9 - 18 months

• Infant produces melodic utterances, rhythm and tone. Parents able to sense intentions

• Referred to proto-word stage

First recognisable word around 12 months, by 18 months they have around 50 words in productive vocab.

At 24 months, 200 words

At 36 months, 3000 words

Nelson & Early Language Patterns (1973)

Group words into categories:

• naming

• action

• social

• modifying/descriptive

High proportion of nouns were recorded. Later Bloom (2004) argues this is simply a reflection of the frequency of nouns in general use.

Holophrastic

Expression of a whole phrase in one word “Dada”

Two-word stage

Between 18-24 months, toddlers form phrases with content words or one verb

Telegraphic Stage

Starts at age of 2 ½ years. Construction of phrases of more than two words.

BM Kroll (1981) 4 Stage Model

Stage 1: Preparatory Stage

• child is mastering basic motor skills

• some awareness of spelling system

Stage 2: Consolidation stage (up to 6yrs)

• child writes as they speak. Casual, colloquial and unfinished sentences

• Short declarative sentences, mainly ‘and’ conjunctions

Stage 3: Differentiation stage (up to 9yrs)

• Writer aware of differences between speech and writing

• Stronger grasp of audience and purpose

• Many mistakes, expanding lexis and grammar

• Uses writing frames for structure

• Describes emotions and thoughts to reflect

Stage 4: Integration stage (12+)

• writer develops personal style

• understanding you can change style according to audience and purpose

• stage characterised by personal voice, controlled writing and appropriate linguistic choices

Barclay (1996): 7 Stage Model of Writing Development

1. Scribbling stage

   • Text is made of random marks

   • Accompanies speaking

2. Mock handwriting stage

   • writing and drawing

   • wavy lines

   • cursive attempted

3. Mock letters

   • child is aware letters are separate things

4. Conventional letters

   • Stage involves writing own name as first word

   • Child can put random letters on a page and then able to read as words

5. Invented spelling stage

   • Child spells the way they understand the word to be spelt

6. Appropriate/phonetic spelling

   • Child attaches spelling to sounds heard

7. Correct spelling

   • Able to spell most words

Gentry’s Developmental Stages of Spelling

1. Exploration/Pre-phonemic

   • Imitates writing through scribbles, left to right, repetition

2. Semi-phonetic

   • Leaves random spaces in writing, some correct words. Letters and sounds correspond.

3. Phonetic

   • Writes quickly, understands all phonemes. Vowels omitted when not heard. Words spaced correctly

4. Transitional

   • Vowels appear in every syllable, silent -e is fixed. Combines phonic knowledge with visual memory

5. Conventional

   • Most words spelt correctly. Sells using extensive sight vocab, knows about underlying structure in words.

Rothery Categories for Identifying Generic Conventions

Narrative: Story Genre

• Story genre: Orientation - Complication - Resolution - Coda. At early stages, not all will be present in writing

Observation/commentary

• Follows or mixes observations with evaluation and comment

Recount

• Chronological - orientation event - reorientation

Report

• Factual and objective description of events or things, not chronological

Britton’s Three Models

Expressive:

• First model - resembles speech. 1st person, usually based on personal experiences

Poetic:

• Gradual development. Requires skills to craft and shape language. Encouraged early on due to creativity.

Transactional:

• Secondary level, dissociates speech from writing.

• Academic/impersonal in style. Formal sentence structures and phonological features. Tends to be chronological