Chapter 2 - Language Development in Early Childhood Education

Nativist Perspective

Emphasizes inborn or innate human capabilities as being responsible for language development.

Noam Chomsky

Nativist Perspective - All people inherently have the capability to acquire language due to cognitive structures that process language differently from other stimuli.

Universal Grammar

Chomsky has defined the rules systems for using language as the system of principles, conditions, and rules that are elements or properties of all human languages. Chomsky proposes that this universal grammar is an innate property of the human mind.

Language Acquisition Device (LAD)

Chomsky describes the process of children learning a language as involving an inborn, language-specific mechanism called an Language Acquisition Device. The LAD enables children to process and acquire language through innate knowledge of grammatical classes, underlying deep structure, and ways in which language can be manipulated.

Hypothesis Testing

Through the acquisition process children construct their knowledge of the ways language is used and manipulated sometimes referred to as hypothesis testing. Children test their hypothesis or sets of assumptions of how language is spoken, articulated, used, and manipulated.

Jean Piaget

Cognitive Developmental Perspective - Language is acquired as maturation occurs and cognitive competencies develop. Assumes that cognitive development is a prerequisite and foundation for language learning. Also proposes that a child learns language by using the same mechanisms as for other learning. The close relation between cognitive development and language is based on the belief that, for language to develop, specific cognitive growth must occur first. According to Piaget, language appears when children's cognitive growth reaches a point where they use and manipulate symbols. For language to exist, Piaget contended the capacity for mental representation must be present. Thus, vocalizations and babbling that occur during infancy are not language.

Object permanence

Involves an awareness that an object continues to exist even when it is out of sight. Further, when the object reappears, it is the same object and has the same properties as before. After object permanence is acquired, children begin to use symbols such as words to refer to objects and actions.

Schemata

Relations between actions and objects develop and are organized into abstract cognitive structures.

Preoperational Stage

Second stage of cognitive development - Begins at age 2 and extends to age 7. Children in this stage begin to represent the world with words, images, and drawings.

Burrhus Frederic (B. F.) Skinner

Behaviorist Perspective - Emphasizes the role of "nurture" and considers learning to occur based on the stimuli, responses, and reinforcements that occur in the environment. A child is considered to be a "blank slate" and learning occurs due to associations established between stimuli, responses, and events that occur after the response behavior. Language is learned as a result of these associations. Reinforcement of a child's verbal and nonverbal responses to language directed at him is responsible for the language learning that occurs. Thus, language is "taught" through situations in which children are encourage to imitate others' speech and to develop associations between verbal stimuli and objects.

Imitative Speech

Involves the production of speech that approximates the speech of another person.

Vygotsky

Interactionist Perspective - Focuses primary role of sociocultural interaction in children's development of language knowledge. This perspective contends that children acquire language through their attempts to communicate with the world around them. The basic premise is that language development is influenced by the society in which the individual lives: higher mental functions are socially formed and culturally transmitted. Speech has social origins.

Language Acquisition Support System (LASS)

The ways in which an environment supports children's language explorations

Zone of Proximal Development

The difference between what a child can accomplish alone and what she can accomplish with an adult's mediation of assistance

Developmental Level

What a child accomplishes independently

Central Nervous System

The brain and spinal cord composes the CNS. The spinal cord begins in the brain stem area and continues down the center of the back, protected by the bone structure of the spine. Communication of brain messages to the rest of the body takes place through the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system.

Peripheral Nervous System

Involves the nerve pathways that connect the spinal cord with all parts of the body. It carries out the actions signaled by the brain not only for language but for movement as well.

Neurons

Nerve Cells - composes of 3 main parts: Cell body, Axon, and Dendrites.

Axons

One of three main parts of the nerve cell. It carries information away from the cell.

Dendrites

One of three main parts of the nerve cell. It carries information to the cell body

Myelin Sheath

Each axon is encased in a layer of fat cells. This protects the nerve cells and makes it possible for the nerve impulses to travel faster

Axon Terminal

The end of the axon branches out like a tree branch. The branching area, called the axon terminal, connects to the dendrites of an adjacent cell body.

Synapse

The area of interconnection between the axon terminal of one cell body and the dendrites of another cell body.

Cerebral Cortex

The outer layer of the Cerebrum. It covers the brain like a cap and accounts for about 80% of the volume of the brain.

Cerebellum

An area in the lower back region of the brain associated with movement and coordination. It transmits signals to the muscles that control the various parts of the speech mechanism to produce speech sounds.

Brain Divisions

The brain is divided vertically into two sections called Hemispheres. Speech and grammar functions are localized in the left hemisphere; however it is also agree both hemispheres are involved in the more complex forms of communication such as metaphor and humor usage.

Lateralization

During the maturation and growth of the brain, each of the hemispheres develops certain cognitive functions

Aphasia

The general loss of specific language capabilities.

Broca's Aphasia

Loss of speech production appeared to be the result of damage to the lower area of the left frontal lobe of the cerebrum, now referred to as Broca's Aphasia/

Wernicke's Aphasia

This speech disorder is associated with damage to a region of the brain in the area to the back and top of the temporal lobe. Words that are phonemically similar but have no semantic relation to what appears to be the message communicated may be substituted. For example "Wine" may be used instead of "Why"

Shared Reference

Basic interaction pattern where objects and events are contemplated and become subjects of conversation. When eye contact and shared reference are not established communication often breaks down or is not even initiated as there is no clear common focus.

Communication Loop

All patters of interaction are characterized by a circular or cycle-like sharing and exchanging of the roles of speaker and listener.

Child-Directed Speech (CDS)

The specific language that adults use with young children is also distinctive and serves to enhance language development.

Verbal Mapping

Employs language that fits the situation, providing the symbols for a child's subsequent representation of that event. Mostly serves to orally identify the concepts being experienced.

Linguistic Scaffolding

Refers to a supportive manner in which adults or older children interact with young children in a dialogue. It assists children in participating at a higher level than they could perform independently. By exploring children's participation in scaffolded interactions, it is possible to see their future learning and development.

Expansion or Recasting

Another aspect of linguistic scaffolding used by filling out what a child says. Taking a child's short choppy sentence and creating a complete sentence from it, repeating it to the child.

Strategic Scaffolding

Involves a conscious awareness by an adult that he is teaching or modeling to a child how to carry on a conversation of how to describe an event or object.

Mediation

Appears to be influenced by an adult's awareness of a child's level of comprehension and ability to respond. The adult serves as a mediator, a go-between for the child and the learning stimuli, giving the child just enough support to accomplish the task at hand.

Socioeconomic Status

A complex construct based on household income, material resources, education and occupation as well as related neighborhood and family characteristics.