In-Depth Notes on Language Development, Influence, and Milestones

Noam Chomsky's Theory of Language Development

• Chomsky's Argument: Humans are biologically prewired to learn language.

  • Suggested that language acquisition is an innate ability.

  • Proposed the idea of a ‘universal grammar’ that underlies all languages.

• Evidence Supporting Biological Basis:

  • Children across cultures reach language milestones at similar ages despite different linguistic environments.

    • Example: Samoan tribes where infants receive less verbal input still learn language effectively.

• Critical Period: Some say there is a critical period for language acquisition, typically during early childhood.

• Implication: Children learn grammatical structures without explicit instruction, relying on innate capabilities.

Biological Influence on Language

• Evolution of Language: Language is believed to have developed approximately 100,000 years ago alongside other cognitive abilities.

  • Provided a significant survival advantage compared to other species.

  • Allowed for advanced communication and coordination during essential tasks such as hunting and gathering.

• Brain Areas Involved:

  • Left Hemisphere: Primarily responsible for complex language processing.

    • Wernicke's Area: Language comprehension.

    • Broca's Area: Speech production; functions to coordinate messaging for articulation.

• Research Findings:

  • Studies have shown specialized brain regions for language, emphasizing the biological foundation of language abilities.

Environmental Influence on Language

• Behaviorist Perspective (Skinner): Language develops through imitation and reinforcement.

  • Example: A child may repeat "mama" if praised, leading to repeated imitations.

• Critique of Behaviorism: Evidence suggests children learn languages too quickly and efficiently to be solely based on imitation and reinforcement.

• Importance of Environment:

  • A child’s exposure to language and interactive environments plays a critical role.

  • Studies indicate large disparities in language exposure between different socioeconomic backgrounds.

  • Findings from Hart & Risley (1995): Middle-income children heard significantly more words compared to those from lower-income households.

    • Middle-class children heard approximately 2100 words/hour vs. 600 words/hour in lower-income counterparts.

Case Study: Genie

• Background: Genie was a child raised in extreme isolation, with little exposure to language.

  • After rescue, she learned some vocabulary and rudimentary sentence structures but never fully developed language skills akin to normally socialized children.

  • Her case supports the idea that critical periods exist for language development.

Milestones of Language Development

• 0-6 Months: Cooing, discrimination of vowel sounds.

• 6-12 Months: Babbling begins, incorporating sounds from the ambient language.

• 12-18 Months: First words spoken, typical vocabulary around 50 words.

• 18-24 Months: Two-word combinations emerge, vocabulary rapidly increases.

• 2-3 Years: More complex sentences and grammatical structures are used.

  • Mean length of utterances begins to grow (average 3-4 morphemes).

• 3-6 Years: Vocabulary reaches about 10,000 words, understanding of grammar increases significantly.

Social and Cultural Influences

• Language Changes Over Time: New words and expressions emerge as technology and culture evolve (e.g., emojis).

• Cognitive Flexibility in Language Learning: The impact of cultural and social contexts affects how individuals acquire and use languages.

  • Children benefit from interactions with caregivers and surroundings that enrich language acquisition.

Noam Chomsky's Theory of Language Development

• Chomsky's Argument: Humans are biologically prewired to learn language.

  • Suggested that language acquisition is an innate ability.

  • Proposed the idea of a ‘universal grammar’ that underlies all languages.

• Evidence Supporting Biological Basis:

  • Children across cultures reach language milestones at similar ages despite different linguistic environments.

  • Example: Samoan tribes where infants receive less verbal input still learn language effectively.

• Critical Period: Some say there is a critical period for language acquisition, typically during early childhood.

• Implication: Children learn grammatical structures without explicit instruction, relying on innate capabilities.

Biological Influence on Language

• Evolution of Language: Language is believed to have developed approximately 100,000 years ago alongside other cognitive abilities.

  • Provided a significant survival advantage compared to other species.

  • Allowed for advanced communication and coordination during essential tasks such as hunting and gathering.

• Brain Areas Involved:

  • Left Hemisphere: Primarily responsible for complex language processing.

  • Wernicke's Area: Language comprehension.

  • Broca's Area: Speech production; functions to coordinate messaging for articulation.

• Research Findings:

  • Studies have shown specialized brain regions for language, emphasizing the biological foundation of language abilities.

Environmental Influence on Language

• Behaviorist Perspective (Skinner): Language develops through imitation and reinforcement.

  • Example: A child may repeat "mama" if praised, leading to repeated imitations.

• Critique of Behaviorism: Evidence suggests children learn languages too quickly and efficiently to be solely based on imitation and reinforcement.

• Importance of Environment:

  • A child’s exposure to language and interactive environments plays a critical role.

  • Studies indicate large disparities in language exposure between different socioeconomic backgrounds.

  • Findings from Hart & Risley (1995): Middle-income children heard significantly more words compared to those from lower-income households.

  • Middle-class children heard approximately 2100 words/hour vs. 600 words/hour in lower-income counterparts.

Case Study: Genie

• Background: Genie was a child raised in extreme isolation, with little exposure to language.

  • After rescue, she learned some vocabulary and rudimentary sentence structures but never fully developed language skills akin to normally socialized children.

  • Her case supports the idea that critical periods exist for language development.

Milestones of Language Development

• 0-6 Months: Cooing, discrimination of vowel sounds.

• 6-12 Months: Babbling begins, incorporating sounds from the ambient language.

• 12-18 Months: First words spoken, typical vocabulary around 50 words.

• 18-24 Months: Two-word combinations emerge, vocabulary rapidly increases.

• 2-3 Years: More complex sentences and grammatical structures are used.

  • Mean length of utterances begins to grow (average 3-4 morphemes).

• 3-6 Years: Vocabulary reaches about 10,000 words, understanding of grammar increases significantly.

Social and Cultural Influences

• Language Changes Over Time: New words and expressions emerge as technology and culture evolve (e.g., emojis).

• Cognitive Flexibility in Language Learning: The impact of cultural and social contexts affects how individuals acquire and use languages.

  • Children benefit from interactions with caregivers and surroundings that enrich language acquisition.

Stress and Language Development

• Impact of Stress: Chronic stress in caregivers can negatively affect language development in children.

  • Stress can impair caregivers' ability to engage in language-rich interactions.

  • Children from high-stress environments often have reduced exposure to vocabulary and complex sentences, limiting their language acquisition opportunities.

• Studies on Stress: Research has shown that children in lower socioeconomic status households, which often experience higher levels of stress, may face language delays compared to their more affluent peers.

• Stress Management: Providing support to caregivers can alleviate stress and enhance language learning environments, indicating the importance of mental health for promoting language development in children.