ETEY Topic 2: Developing oral Language - Theories of Acquistion

What is oral language?

The use of spoken words, sounds and other forms of communication, such as gestures, to communicate with others.

Why is oral language important?

It is the foundation of reading, writing, viewing and creating.

How do children communicate before they can read and write?

Through babbling, gestures, pointing and speaking.

Who plays an important role in developing children's oral language?

Teachers and families.

What is receptive language?

The ability to understand, listen to and process language.

Give four examples of receptive language.

Listening to stories, following instructions, understanding questions and processing information.

What is expressive language?

The ability to use language to communicate ideas.

Give four examples of expressive language.

Speaking, answering questions, sharing ideas and telling stories.

What is the difference between receptive and expressive language?

Receptive language is understanding language, while expressive language is using language to communicate.

How can you remember the difference between receptive and expressive language?

Receptive = Receive information. Expressive = Express ideas.

In the Wombat Stew example, what demonstrated receptive language?

Listening to the story and remembering the animal that added the gum leaves.

In the Wombat Stew example, what demonstrated expressive language?

Answering 'koala' and sharing ideas and opinions.

What are the six key elements of oral language?

Phonology, syntax, semantics, morphology, pragmatics and vocabulary.

What is phonology?

The sound system of language.

Give examples of phonology.

Rhyming, syllables and sound awareness.

What is syntax?

The rules for arranging words into correct sentence structures.

What is semantics?

The meaning of words and language.

What is morphology?

The study of word parts, including prefixes, suffixes and root words.

What is pragmatics?

The social use of language, including knowing what to say, when to say it and how to say it.

What is vocabulary?

The words a person knows and understands.

How can you remember phonology?

Think 'pronunciation' and sounds.

How can you remember syntax?

Think sentence structure.

How can you remember semantics?

Think sense or meaning.

How can you remember morphology?

Think word makeup.

How can you remember pragmatics?

Think people and social rules.

Which oral language element focuses on sentence structure?

Syntax.

Which oral language element focuses on word meaning?

Semantics.

Which oral language element focuses on prefixes, suffixes and root words?

Morphology.

Which oral language element focuses on social communication?

Pragmatics.

Which oral language element focuses on speech sounds?

Phonology.

Which oral language element focuses on knowledge of words?

Vocabulary.

What is the Behaviourist Theory of language acquisition?

The theory that children learn language through imitation, repetition and reinforcement.

Who developed the Behaviourist Theory?

B. F. Skinner.

According to Skinner, how do children learn language?

Through imitation, repetition and positive reinforcement.

Give an example of Behaviourist Theory.

A child says a word correctly and receives praise, encouraging them to use it again.

What is the Nativist Theory of language acquisition?

The theory that children are born with an innate ability to learn language.

Who developed the Nativist Theory?

Noam Chomsky.

According to Chomsky, how do children learn language?

Children are born with an inbuilt capacity for language acquisition.

What is the Cognitive Theory of language acquisition?

The theory that language develops alongside children's thinking and cognitive development.

Who developed the Cognitive Theory?

Jean Piaget.

According to Piaget, what develops first?

Cognitive development comes before language development.

What is the Social Interactionist Theory?

The theory that language develops through social interaction with others.

Who are the main theorists of the Social Interactionist Theory?

Lev Vygotsky and Jerome Bruner.

According to Social Interactionist Theory, who helps children develop language?

Teachers, parents, peers and other more knowledgeable people.

What is scaffolding?

Providing temporary support that helps a child learn new language skills until they can do it independently.

What is the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)?

The difference between what a child can do independently and what they can achieve with support.

What is a More Knowledgeable Other (MKO)?

A person with greater knowledge or skills who supports a child's learning.

What is the Language Acquisition Support System (LASS)?

The support provided by adults and the environment to help children acquire language.

What are four scaffolding strategies?

Questioning, modelling, expanding and prompting.

What is modelling?

Demonstrating correct language for children to observe and imitate.

What is expanding?

Adding more detail to a child's response to model richer language.

Give an example of