Early Stages of Language Development

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to early stages of language development, focusing on the categories of language, grammar, and communication functions.

Language

A code used to represent objects, events, or relationships through words.

Grammar

The rule system for combining sounds to form words and sentences.

Phonology

The study of the segments and sounds of a language, including voicing.

Morphology

The study of the structure of words, including inflections and function words.

Vocabulary

The words that a child uses, categorized under language form.

Suprasegmental Features

Prosodic patterns, such as stress in words, that affect meaning.

Developmental Model

A framework for assessing child language development based on naturalistic communication.

Communicative Functions

Early language uses by a child, such as commenting, directing action, or requesting.

Contingent Utterances

Utterances that respond directly to a previous speaker's comment.

Nonlinguistic Context

The physical setting and objects surrounding a child during communication.

Linguistic Context

The prior spoken content that influences a child's subsequent utterances.

Direct Action Requests

Utterances made by a child to obtain an object or action.

Precursor Behaviors

Early manifestations of language development observed in children.

Turn Taking

A conversational behavior where speakers alternate in communication.

Existence Category

A content category that acknowledges the presence of an object.