Child Language Development Lecture Notes

A collection of flashcards covering key concepts, definitions, and important information related to child language development as outlined in the lecture notes.

What are the three components of language according to the lecture notes?

Form, content, and use.

Define morphology.

Morphology is the field of study dedicated to identifying, analyzing, and describing the structure of morphemes.

What does syntax refer to in language development?

Syntax refers to sentence structure and uses rules to combine smaller units of language into phrases.

Explain the importance of semantics in child language development.

Semantics is the meaning conveyed by language through words, phrases, sentences, and texts, and children build semantic systems by learning words and phrasal chunks.

What are the stages of language development from 0 to 60 months?

The stages include: 0-8 months: Perlocutionary, 8-12 months: Illocutionary, 12-18 months: Locutionary, 18-24 months: word use increase, 24-30 months: longer turns, 30-36 months: narrative production begins, 36-48 months: sophistication in requests, 48-60 months: flexibly uses language.

What role do caregivers play in language development?

Caregivers provide opportunities for learning, moderate interaction with the environment, and use techniques for infant interaction.

What is Brown's 14 Grammatical Morphemes?

Brown's 14 Grammatical Morphemes are a list that includes key morphemes that children typically acquire as their language development progresses.

What is the significance of the Language Acquisition Device (LAD) according to Chomsky?

The LAD is a theoretical construct proposed by Chomsky that suggests children are biologically programmed to acquire language.

Describe the pragmatic perspective of language development.

The pragmatic perspective focuses on the social exchange of meaning and considers the context in which language is used.

What are typical assessment procedures for a child language disorder?

Assessment procedures include case history, standardized and non-standardized assessments, and observational methods.

What is phonology?

Phonology is the study of the sound system of a language, including the rules governing the use and organization of speech sounds (phonemes).

Define joint attention and its importance in language development.

Joint attention is a shared focus of two individuals on an object, which occurs when one individual alters the direction of their gaze toward the object and the other individual follows. It is crucial for early social interaction and language learning.

How does the behaviorist theory explain language acquisition?

The behaviorist theory proposes that language is learned through imitation, reinforcement, and conditioning, much like other behaviors (associated with B.F. Skinner).

What is Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) and what does it measure?

MLU is a common measure of grammatical complexity in children's language, calculated by dividing the total number of morphemes by the total number of utterances in a language sample.

What is a morpheme?

The smallest meaningful unit of language, which can be a word or a part of a word.

What are the two main types of morphemes?

Free morphemes (can stand alone as words) and bound morphemes (must be attached to a free morpheme).

Give an example of a free morpheme and a bound morpheme.

Free: "cat"; Bound: "-s" in "cats" (plural) or "un-" in "unhappy."

What are inflectional morphemes?

Bound morphemes that add grammatical information to words (e.g., plural -s, possessive -'s, present progressive -ing, past tense -ed).

What are derivational morphemes?

Bound morphemes that change the meaning or grammatical category of a word (e.g., "-ly" in "quickly," "un-" in "unhappy").

What does MLU specifically measure related to Brown's Stages?

It measures the average number of morphemes per utterance, serving as an indicator of grammatical complexity in children's language.

At what MLU range and age does Brown's Stage I typically occur?

MLU of 1.0-2.0 at approximately 12-26 months, characterized by single-word utterances and early two-word combinations.

What grammatical morphemes are typically acquired in Brown's Stage II (MLU 2.0-2.5)?

The present progressive -ing (e.g., "running") and the prepositions "in" and "on."

Which morpheme is typically acquired in Brown's Stage III (MLU 2.5-3.0)?

The regular past tense -ed (e.g., "walked").

What grammatical morpheme is typically mastered in Brown's Stage IV (MLU 3.0-3.75)?

The regular third person singular -s (e.g., "he runs").

What two morphemes are often acquired in Brown's Stage V (MLU 3.75-4.5+)?

Auxiliary verbs and contractions (e.g., "is running," "I'm tall").

Why is MLU a good measure for tracking morphological development?

It directly reflects a child's increasing ability to combine words and use grammatical markers, indicating growing sentence complexity.

What are the key elements of an effective diagnostic report for a child language disorder?

Background information, assessment results, diagnostic statement, prognosis, and recommendations for intervention.

What is the primary purpose of a standardized assessment in language diagnosis?

To compare a child's language abilities to those of age-matched peers using established norms to identify significant delays or disorders.

What are the advantages of using non-standardized/observational methods in assessment?

They provide richer, more naturalistic data about a child's functional language use in various contexts, complementing formal test scores.

What does "differential diagnosis" mean in the context of child language disorders?

The process of distinguishing a specific language disorder from other conditions that might present with similar symptoms (e.g., hearing loss, autism, intellectual disability).

Describe a "child-centered" intervention approach.

The clinician follows the child's lead, using natural interactions and play to facilitate communication without direct instruction, promoting intrinsic motivation.

Describe a "clinician-directed" intervention approach.

The clinician controls the intervention, determining goals, materials, and reinforcement, often involving highly structured activities and drills.

Describe a "hybrid" intervention approach.

Combines elements of both clinician-directed and child-centered approaches, structured to target specific goals within naturalistic and responsive contexts.

What is the concept of "dosage" in speech and language intervention?

Refers to the frequency, intensity, and duration of therapy sessions, which can impact the effectiveness of intervention outcomes.

What does Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) mean for SLPs in language intervention?

Integrating the best available research evidence with clinical expertise and client/family values to make informed intervention decisions.

List three common intervention goals for children with expressive language difficulties.

Increasing vocabulary, developing multi-word utterances, and improving grammatical morpheme use.

What are considerations for assessing and intervening with bilingual children?

Assessing in both languages, understanding cultural communication styles, and differentiating language differences from disorders.

What is family-centered practice in early intervention?

An approach that respects family values and priorities, involving families as active partners in goal setting and intervention delivery.

What are phonemes?

The smallest meaningful sound units in a language that distinguish one word from another (e.g., /p/ and /b/ in "pat" vs. "bat").

What is phonotactics?

The rules governing the permissible sound sequences and positions of phonemes within a language (e.g., /bl/ is allowed in English, /tl/ is not).

Differentiate between receptive and expressive language.

Receptive language is understanding language (e.g., listening, reading), while expressive language is producing language (e.g., speaking, writing).

What is "fast mapping" in word learning?

The rapid ability of children to infer the meaning of a new word after only a brief exposure, often through context clues.

What is "slow mapping" in word learning?

The gradual process of refining the meaning of a new word over time through multiple exposures and experiences.

What is overextension in early vocabulary?

When a child uses a word to refer to a wider range of objects or events than what is appropriate (e.g., calling all four-legged animals "doggy").

What is underextension in early vocabulary?

When a child uses a word too narrowly, only applying it to a specific instance of an object or event (e.g., only their pet "doggy," not other dogs).

Describe "telegraphic speech."

Early multi-word utterances that omit grammatical markers (function words) but retain essential content words necessary for meaning (e.g., "Daddy eat cookie").

How does babbling evolve in infants before first words?

From reduplicated (canonical) babbling with repetitive consonant-vowel syllables (e.g., ba-ba-ba) to variegated babbling with different syllables (e.g., ba-di-da).

What is the critical period hypothesis for language acquisition?

The theory that there is a limited developmental time during which language acquisition occurs readily and effortlessly; beyond this period, it is more difficult.

Explain the social-interactionist theory of language development.

This theory (Vygotsky, Bruner) emphasizes the role of social interaction and the environment in mediating language acquisition, highlighted by concepts like the ZPD and scaffolding.

What is the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) according to Vygotsky?

The range of tasks that a child can perform with the help of a more skilled individual but cannot yet perform independently.

How do gestures contribute to early language development?

Gestures (e.g., pointing, waving) serve as early communicative acts, often preceding spoken words and predicting later language abilities.

What are proto-declaratives and proto-imperatives?

Proto-declaratives are gestures to comment on an object (e.g., pointing at a dog); proto-imperatives are gestures to request something (e.g., pointing at a desired toy).

What is syntactic bootstrapping?

The process by which children use the grammatical structure of a sentence (syntax) to infer the meaning of new words.

What is narrative development in young children?

The progression of a child's ability to tell coherent stories, incorporating elements like characters, setting, plot, and logical sequencing of events.

What is the primary purpose of Brown's Stages of Morphological Development?

To document the predictable sequence of grammatical morpheme acquisition and increasing syntactic complexity in children's language, serving as a guideline for typical development.

What is the typical MLU and age range for Brown's Stage I, and what is its hallmark characteristic?

MLU 1.0-2.0, ages 12-26 months. Characterized by single-word utterances and the emergence of early two-word combinations adhering to basic word order (e.g., agent-action, action-object).

What is the first grammatical morpheme typically acquired in Brown's Stage II, along with its MLU and age range?

MLU 2.0-2.5, ages 27-30 months. The present progressive -ing (e.g., "running", "eating").

Provide an example of a Stage II utterance using the present progressive morpheme.

"Doggie running", "Baby eating".

Which two prepositions appear in Brown's Stage II?

The prepositions "in" and "on" (e.g., "in box", "on table").

What is the typical MLU and age range for Brown's Stage III, and which key morphemes are acquired?

MLU 2.5-3.0, ages 31-34 months. Key acquisitions include the regular plural -s (e.g., "cats", "dogs") and the irregular past tense (e.g., "went", "ate").

Provide examples of the regular plural -s and irregular past tense as typically seen in Brown's Stage III.

Regular plural samples: "two cars," "some books." Irregular past tense samples: "he went," "daddy ate."

What is the typical MLU and age range for Brown's Stage IV, and which grammatical morphemes emerge?

MLU 3.0-3.75, ages 35-40 months. Morphemes acquired include the possessive -'s (e.g., "mommy's hat"), uncontractible copula verbs (e.g., "he is tall"), and articles "a" and "the."

Provide an example of an uncontractible copula and a possessive -'s typical of Brown's Stage IV.

Uncontractible copula: "He is sick" (where "is" cannot be contracted). Possessive -'s: "Sarah's toy."

What is the typical MLU and age range for Brown's Stage V (V+), and what are its key morpheme acquisitions?

MLU 3.75-4.5+, ages 41-46+ months. Key acquisitions include the regular past tense -ed (e.g., "walked", "played"), regular third person singular -s (e.g., "he runs", "she eats"), irregular third person singular (e.g., "he has", "she does"), and the uncontractible auxiliary verb (e.g., "is" in "He is running").

What other morphemes are typically acquired during Brown's Stage V and beyond, and what do they indicate?

Contractible copula (e.g., "He's happy") and contractible auxiliary (e.g., "She's playing"). These mark the mastery of more complex sentence structures.

Give an example of regular past tense -ed and regular third person singular -s as seen in Brown's Stage V.

Regular past tense -ed: "She played outside." Regular third person singular -s: "The dog barks loudly."

How does the acquisition of grammatical morphemes progress across Brown's Stages?

It progresses from simpler, early-developing inflectional morphemes to more complex and subtle grammatical forms, reflecting increasing syntactic maturity and the ability to express more precise meanings.

Why is understanding the sequence of Brown's Stages important for speech-language pathologists (SLPs)?

It provides a valuable developmental roadmap to assess whether a child's grammatical development is on track, identify potential delays, and guide intervention targets.

How are the grammatical morphemes in Brown's Stages analyzed when calculating MLU?

Each obligatory grammatical morpheme produced (or omitted when required) by the child is counted as one morpheme within an utterance when calculating MLU, providing a measure of structural complexity.

What does CELF-3 stand for, and what is its primary purpose?

CELF-3 stands for Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-3. Its primary purpose is to identify, diagnose, and provide information for intervention planning for language disorders in children and adolescents.

What age range does the CELF-3 primarily cover?

The CELF-3 is designed for individuals aged 5 years 0 months to 21 years 11 months.

What are the three levels of comprehensive assessment provided by the CELF-3?

1. Norm-referenced Core Language Score to determine if a disorder exists. 2. Index scores provide detail on specific language strengths and weaknesses. 3. Subtest scores to pinpoint specific skill deficits.

What is the "Core Language Score" on the CELF-3, and what does it represent?

The Core Language Score is a psychometrically sound measure derived from specific subtests, representing a child's overall language ability and indicating the presence of a language disorder.

Name two key receptive language subtests on the CELF-3.

'Concepts and Following Directions' (assesses understanding of spoken directions with increasing complexity) and 'Word Classes-Receptive' (evaluates ability to understand relationships between words based on categories).

Describe what the CELF-3 subtest 'Concepts and Following Directions' assesses.

It assesses a child's receptive understanding of logical operations, spatial/temporal concepts, and the ability to follow increasingly complex oral commands involving multiple critical elements.

Name two key expressive language subtests on the CELF-3.

'Formulated Sentences' (evaluates ability to formulate sentences about visual stimuli using target words) and 'Recalling Sentences' (assesses memory and ability to repeat spoken sentences of increasing length and complexity).

What does the CELF-3 subtest 'Formulated Sentences' specifically evaluate?

It assesses a child's ability to express ideas with appropriate grammatical structure and vocabulary by constructing sentences using given words and pictorial prompts.

What does the CELF-3 subtest 'Recalling Sentences' effectively measure?

It measures a child's ability to recall and reproduce sentences, which reflects their understanding of syntax, morphology, and working memory capacity for linguistic information.

What type of scores does the CELF-3 yield for interpretation?

It yields standard scores (with a mean of 100 and standard deviation of 15), percentile ranks, age equivalents, and growth scores, allowing for comparison to normative data.

How are CELF-3 results typically used in the diagnostic process?

Results help clinicians determine if a language disorder is present, classify the type of disorder (e.g., receptive, expressive, mixed), and identify the specific areas of language breakdown to guide intervention.

What are some key advantages of using the CELF-3 in language assessment?

It is comprehensive, norm-referenced, provides detailed information on various language components, and has strong psychometric properties, making it a reliable tool for diagnosis and intervention planning.

Can the CELF-3 differentiate between a language difference and a language disorder in bilingual children?

While the CELF-3 is standardized for English speakers, careful consideration of background, use of culturally sensitive observation, and assessment in all languages is crucial. The CELF-3 itself does not directly differentiate this without additional clinical judgment.

What indices (or areas of language) can the CELF-3 provide scores for, beyond the Core Language Score?

It can provide Receptive Language Index, Expressive Language Index, Language Content Index, Language Structure Index, and Language Memory Index, offering a profile of specific strengths and weaknesses.

Beyond identifying a language disorder, how can CELF-3 results inform intervention planning?

The detailed subtest and index scores pinpoint specific deficits (e.g., difficulty with complex sentences, understanding abstract concepts), allowing SLPs to create targeted, individualized education plans (IEPs) or intervention goals.