Language Acquisition Stages

Flashcards covering language acqusition stages.

Babies start to 'coo' and make sounds that require the voice box to vibrate.

What phonological features are present in the prelinguistic stage (0-0.5 years)?

Ability to open and close vocal tract to create basic syllables (like ‘pa’ or ‘ma ma’)

What articulation abilities develop in the prelinguistic stage?

Syllable duplication (like deedeedee or dadada). Combination of multiple different syllable sounds.

What are the phonological features of the babbling stage (0.5-1 year)?

At the end of the babbling stage, language begins to resemble aspects of real language spoken by adults.

How does babbling change over time?

Accurately imitates some words, uses most consonant and vowels or reduplicated consonant-vowel-consonant-vowel words such as ‘bye-bye’ and ‘ta-ta,’ and often omits final or initial consonants.

What are the phonological features of the holophrastic stage (1-1.5 years)?

50% of all utterances are nouns, average vocabulary of up to 100 words by 18 months.

What are the lexical features of the holophrastic stage?

Average length of utterances are 1-2 words.

What are the syntactical features of the holophrastic stage?

Comprehends around 200 words, can understand and follow simple one-step instructions, points towards wanted or recognized objects, begins to claim items, can point to 1-3 body parts on command, identifies 2 or more objects or pictures from a group, perceives others’ emotions.

What are the semantic features of the holophrastic stage?

Use of words has increased to 1-2, start to use intonation, use simple consonant-vowel words e.g. ‘cats’

What are the phonological features of the 2 word stage (1.5-2 years)?

Possessive emerging, understands who possesses what and correct words e.g. ‘nana’s’. Approx 30% of words are nouns, 200-300 words by 24 months, start using adjective and verbs

What are the morphological and lexical features of the Two-Word Stage?

Puts two words together for phrases

What are the syntactical features of the 2 word stage?

Understands around 300 words, responds to yes or no questions, can say own name on request.

What are the semantic features of the two-word stage?

Consonants mastered: p, t, k, m, n, y, h. May omit final consonants or reduce consonant blends; substitute one consonant for another, e.g. ‘sops’ for ‘shop’

Describe the phonological features of the telegraphic stage (2-2.5 years).

Children may overapply grammatical rules or patterns, resulting in errors such as using regular past tense forms incorrectly (e.g., 'goed' instead of 'went') or applying plural forms inconsistently (e.g., 'foots' instead of 'feet')

What morphological feature is evident in the telegraphic stage?

Primarily consists of content words, such as nouns and verbs. Function words are frequently omitted

Describe the lexical features of the telegraphic stage.

Basic sentence structures with minimal grammatical complexity, often omitting function words such as articles (e.g., 'the,' 'a') and auxiliary verbs (e.g., 'is,' 'are'). Uses coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS)

What are the syntactical features present in the telegraphic stage?

Comprehends approximately 500-900 words. Understands and asks questions about objects, people and basic events. Uses and understands why questions. Follows a series of 2 related commands.

What semantic advancements are made during the telegraphic stage?

Uses progressive ‘ing’ on verbs. Regular plural forms emerging ‘dog’ – ‘dogs’. Irregular past tense . Use auxiliary ‘is/am +ing’. Regular past tense ‘walk’ – ‘walked’ .Uses ‘s’ for possession .Uses ‘est’ as adjective marker

What are some additional morphological features observed in the telegraphic stage?

Vocabulary is limited but expanding during this stage. They typically use familiar words and phrases to express their needs, desires, and observations.

How does vocabulary develop during the telegraphic stage?

Combines 3 -4 words in a subject -verb - object format. Has concept of ‘one’ and ‘all’; ‘big’ and ‘little’

How does sentence structure evolve during telegraphic stage?

Asks simple ‘who’, ‘why’, ‘where’, ‘how many’ questions. Answers ‘where’, ‘what’, and ‘doing’ questions.

What types of questions are understood and asked during the later part of the telegraphic stage?

Rapid vocabulary growth – wider use of words including function words. Uses sub - ordinating conjunctions (ISAWAWUBUB).

What are the multi-word stage lexical and syntactical features?

Children begin to use multiple clauses to express more complex ideas.

How does syntax complexity change in the multi - word stage?

Children use language more effectively to express needs, desires, and emotions, and to interact with others.

How does language use evolve in the multi-word stage?