Introduction to Child Language Development

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Review - What is language? Set of rules for sharing thoughts, ideas,

feelings Can be verbal, signed, gestured, written

Receptive and expressive

Review: What is language? Form - Phonology, Morphology, Syntax

Content - Semantics

Use - Pragmatics

How does language differ from speech?

Inter-relationship between language areas Bloom and Lahey (1978)

Language Development Birth to 3 - intensive period of language

development

Critical periods of development

Environment facilitates language development

Language Development - Birth

Language learning begins

Baby reacts to loud sounds by startling or waking.

Baby produces sounds that indicate pain or pleasure

Language Development- birth First communication!

CRYING

Language Development - 0-3 months Baby turns and watches your face when you

speak. Baby smiles and seems to recognize familiar

voices Baby may listen intently to unfamiliar voices Baby responds to comforting tones Baby starts cooing Baby uses differentiated cries

12 weeks old http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnEP

Bb3WVnY

Language Development 4-6 months Responsive to tones of voice Moves eyes in directions of sounds May be interested in non-speech sounds Babbling and vocal play Can indicate urgency/excitement with vocalizations Rituals and games set predictable routines and

expectations Gurgling sounds

Language Development By 6 months -

Response to name

Vocalizations with

intonation

Responses to tones of

voice--happy, angry

6 month old http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwik

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Language Development- 7-12 months - comprehension Looks in direction of sounds Listens when spoken to Recognizes words for

common objects Begins to respond to requests Enjoys early games/rituals

Language development- 7-12 months - expression

Has 1-2 words Uses speech for attention Babbling

12 month old http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnEP

Bb3WVnY

Play Development 9-12 months Object permanence

Starts to use some basic toys appropriately

Play Development (Westby, 1990)

13-17 months Discovers function of toys

through trial and error Hands toy to adult if unable

to work

17-19 monthso autosymbolic playo tool use

19-22 months Symbolic play beyond self Combines 2 toys in play

Receptive Language - 1-2 years

12 months - understands 50 words, 18 months-understands 200 words

Follows simple directions within common routines

Identifies simple body parts Points to named objects or pictures Listens to simple stories/rhymes

Expressive language- 1-2 years 12 months - uses up to 3 words, (more every

month) 23 months - uses about 200 words! Overextend and underextend meanings

Examples - overgeneralization- all animals are dogs Undergeneralization- sandals aren’t shoes

Emerging 2 word combinations Emerging question use - “where mommy?”

Language development

2 year olds understand possession!!! QuickTime™ and a

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2 year old http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaTJ

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Receptive language- 2-3 years 24 months - understands 500-700 words 30 months - understands up to 900 words Can acquire 1-2 new words per day Variety of vocabulary expands - nouns, verbs,

adjectives, pronouns, etc Follows 1-2 step directions Understands some concept pairs (hot/cold)

Expressive language 2-3 years Vocabulary explosion - up to 570 words

at 30 months 2-3 word sentences Utterance expansion - (1-3 words) Increased grammatical structure of

sentences Limited topic initiation

Language explosion!!!!

Play Development (Westby, 1990)

24 months Daily experiences represented in

play Stacking, knocking down,

pouring dumping

30 months Starts to represent less frequently observed events Still uses realistic props in play

Receptive language - 3-4 years Understands 1000+ words Can acquire 4-6 new words per day!!! Understands “wh” question forms -

what, where and who Follows multi-step directions within

routines Increased ability to comprehend stories,

explanations and conversations

Expressive Language - 3-4 years Hard to measure expressive vocabulary

because it is so big! Combines 4 + words Relays personal experiences but may

leave out relevant details Expanded conversational topics as the

world expands Best at talking of the here and now

Play Development (Westby, 1990)

3-31/2 years Sequence of events in play May replay an experienced

event with a different ending

31/2- 4 years Problem solving and planning emerge 3 dimensional building

Receptive Language- 4-5 years Understands 2500-3000 words Increased conceptual knowledge including

time words, complex emotion words More precision in vocabulary Answers simple questions about stories Follows multi-step directions in new situations Understands conversation about their lives -

preschool, home, etc

Expressive language 4-5 years Lengthy sentences with detail Can tell a simple story with few grammar

errors May still produce errors with irregular forms

(plurals, past tense) Improved story telling but a limited filter of

what is important More confident to initiate topics

Language characteristics - 5 year olds Can carry on conversations about everyday

subjects Love jokes and riddle Able to state name, address, age and birthday Can describe objects by function May gain a vocabulary of new words not

learned at home- not always positive May understand time concepts but can’t tell

time yet

Play development (Westby, 1990)

5 year olds Imaginative and

cooperative

No longer needs concrete props

Plans and organizes toys and people

Language Characteristics - School age Gaining new communication modes-

reading, writing Metalinguistics - ability to consider

language in the abstract and make judgments about its correctness

Language development slows Focus becomes semantics and

pragmatics

Language characteristics - school age Gradual increase in complexity of

thinking and comprehension of nuances in language

Comprehension of multiple meanings and figurative language gradually emerges

Examples:

“As big as a house” set/set/set

Implications of language abilities for school aged children

In elementary school and beyond, language strongly influences… Academics Peer and social relationships Self- esteem

Language across the lifespan Language continues to develop - unless

presence of a problem! Adults expand language including

adding specialized vocabulary related to experiences, jobs, hobbies, life!