Child Language Acquisition

Flashcards about Child Language Acquisition based on lecture notes.

Overextension

When a child uses one word to define many things.

Underextension

When a child uses a word too narrowly.

Child-Directed Speech

Simplified language used by adults directed at children.

Protowords

Neologisms that a child uses consistently for a particular meaning.

Universal grammar

All languages share structural rules built into the brain.

Poverty of the stimulus

The linguistic input a child receives is insufficient for them to acquire the complex rules of their language.

Virtuous errors

Grammatical mistakes made by children that show logical thinking and rule application, not random copying.

Labelling

When a child links words to objects.

Packaging

When a child explores which word links to each object.

Network-building

When a child makes connections between words, opposites, and meanings.

More-knowledgeable other (MKO)

Someone who has a better understanding or higher ability than the child, often a parent or teacher.

Scaffolding

When an MKO offers support to help a child learn language, gradually reducing this support as the child becomes more competent.

Critical period

A biologically determined window of time where a child must be exposed to language in order to fully acquire it.

Zone of proximal development

The gap between what a child can do independently and what they can do with support from an MKO.

Overgeneralisation

When a child applies a rule of language too broadly, using it in situations where it doesn’t actually apply.

Object permanence

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they can’t be seen or heard.

Language Acquisition Device (LAD)

An innate mental system that allows children to learn language naturally and quickly.

Language Acquisition Support System (LASS)

The social and environmental support given to a child to help them learn language, works alongside the LAD.

Phonological simplification

When children simplify difficult sounds or words to make them easier to say.

Egocentrism

When a child is unable to see things from another’s point of view.

Deixis

Words or phrases that rely on context to be understood.

Intention reading

The ability to understand the intentions and means of others.

Joint attention

When two people focus on the same object or event at the same time.

Pre-verbal stage (0-12m)

The child experiments with sound production before forming actual words.

Cooing (6-8w)

Open vowel sounds, “ooo” and “ahh”.

Babbling (6m)

Repeated consonant vowel combinations, “bababa” and “dada”.

Holophrastic stage (12-18m)

Child uses single words to represent whole ideas, “milk”. Meaning relies on context and non-verbal cues.

Two-word stage (18-24m)

Combine two words in basic syntactic structures, “drink milk”. Grammar starts to emerge showing an understanding of subject and verb.

Telegraphic stage (24-36m)

Speech resembles telegrams. Use of key content words with function words often omitted, “want milk” and “mummy go work”. Increase in length of sentence and vocabulary.

Post-telegraphic stage (36m+)

More grammatically complete sentences. Use of function words. Still some errors but speech becomes more adult-like.

Instrumental purpose function

Used to express needs or desires. Helps the child receive what they need from their environment.

Regulatory function

Used to influence or control the behaviour of others. Allows the child to make requests, give orders or persuade.

Interaction function

Used to develop social relationships and interact with others. Creates bonds and builds relationships.

Personal function

Used to express personal opinions, identity and feelings. Gives the child a voice to express their individuality.

Representational function

Used to relay or request information. Communicates facts and knowledge.

Imaginative function

Used to create imaginary environments or role-play. Supports creative thinking and storytelling.

Heuristic function

Used to explore and learn about the environment. Encourages questioning and discovering.

Behaviourist view

Adults shape a child’s language development through reinforcement and punishment. Language is acquired through imitation and conditioning.

Strengths of behaviourist view

• Explains the role of environment and social interaction

• Can account for accents, regional variations and slang

• Supported by evidence that children repeat and are corrected

Limitations of behaviourist view

• Doesn’t explain overgeneralisation

• Children produce utterances they haven’t heard before

• Lacks consideration of innate ability or cognitive development

Nativist view

Language learning is an innate ability that we are born with. We have an LAD within our brain that acquires language. Grammar structures are universal across all languages.

Strengths of nativist view

• Explains rapid language development across cultures

• Children can acquire complex grammar without explicit teaching

• Accounts for overgeneralisation due to internalised rules

Limitations of nativist view

• Downplays role of social interaction and environment

• LAD is a theoritcal concept, not physically found in the brain

• Doesn’t explain delayed or impaired language development

Social interactionist view

Emphasises the importance of caregiver interaction in language development. Language develops through social interaction and scaffolding. Focuses on the nurture side of language development.

Strengths of social interactionist view

• Supported by evidence from caregiver-child interactions

• Explains importance of child-directed speech

• Recognises cultural differences in language input

Limitations of social interactionist view

• Doesn’t explain how children create their own grammatical constructions

• Some children without social interaction still acquire language

• Downplays biological and innate factors

Cognitivist view

Language acquisition is part of overall cognitive development. Children need to understand a concept before expressing it in language. Language grows as thinking grows.

Strengths of cognitivist view

• Explains development of meaning and understanding

• Supported by observations of developmental stages in language and thought

• Connects language with intelligence and problem-solving

Limitations of cognitivist view

• Doesn’t explain the speed of language acquisition 

• Downplays the importance of social interaction and input 

• Some linguistic abilities appear before cognitive milestones

B.F Skinner's view

Language is learned behaviour, not innate. Language is learned through operant conditioning. Children learn language through imitation, repetition, and reinforcement.

Albert Bandura's view

Language is learned through observation and imitation of others. Introduced the concept of vicarious reinforcement: seeing others being rewarded or praised encourages imitation.

Noam Chomsky's view

Humans are born with an innate ability to acquire language. Introduced the concept of the Language Acquisition Device (LAD) which is a hypothetical mental system that allows children to understand and develop language. Believed in Universal Grammar which is the idea that all human languages share a common structure, and children can naturally adapt to any language that they’re exposed to.

Eric Lenneberg's view

Developed the Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH) which is the idea that there is a biological window for language learning, roughly from birth to puberty. After this critical period, full language fluency becomes much harder or even impossible to achieve.

Lenneberg’s biological basis

Brain plasticity is highest in early childhood. The left hemisphere, which is linked to language, develops rapidly in the early years. After puberty, the brain becomes less flexible and lanuage learning becomes harder.

Lev Vygotsky's view

Language develops through social interaction and is a key tool for cognitive development. Proposed the idea of a zone of proximal development (ZPD). Language acquisition happens best when adults scaffold learning within the ZPD. Proposed the idea of scaffolding from an MKO and it’s significance in the process of language acquisition.

Jerome Bruner's view

Interaction with caregivers provides a framework for language learning. Coined the term Language Acquisition Support System (LASS) which works with Chomsky’s LAD. Repeated social routines, like reading or mealtime, give structure to learning language. Emphasises the importance of scaffolding as it allows children to participate in conversation before they fully understand.

Jean Aitchison's view

Language acquisition follows predictable stages as children are actively building their language system. Children aren’t just copying; they are intelligent language processors figuring out how language works.

Jean Piaget's view

Language develops as a part of a child’s wider cognitive development. Children can only use language once they understand the concepts behind it. Children are active learners who go through universal stages of cognitive development. Language reflects a child’s mental abilities at each stage.

Sensorimotor stage (0-2yrs)

Object permanance develops

Pre-operational stage (2-7yrs)

Ecogentrism, symbolic play

Concrete operational stage 7-11yrs)

Logical thinking begins

Formal operational stage (11+ yrs)

Abstract reasoning

Michael Tomasello's view

Language emerges from social interaction, cognitive skills and intention reading, which is the ability of a child to figure out what someone else means. Children learn language through use. Emphasises the functional and intentional use of language in real contexts.

Genie case study

Genie was one of the US’s worst case of child abuse. She was isolated for her childhood and had little to no social interaction whatsoever. When she was discovered, she could not communicate. Linguists and therapists were able to teach Genie to speak but it was very limited. She never acquired full grammar or syntax, remaining at the telegraphic stage. This supports the Critical Period Hypothesis and the role of social interaction within language development.

Genie’s ethical issues

• Genie became the focus of research studies and was moved between foster homes, potentially causing more harm 

• There were concerns that her wellbeing was neglected in favour of scientific interest

Fis phenomenon case study

A child said “fis” instead “of" “fish.” When an adult repeated the mispronunciation, the child became frustrated as they understood the correct pronunciation but could not produce it - showing that perception develops before language production.

Deaf Jim case study

He was born to deaf parents who only communicated using BSL. Despite having access to spoken language via TV and radio, Jim did not acquire spoken language. This shows that social interaction is crucial in language acquisition, suggesting that access to social communication is more vital than exposure to linguistic input alone.