Child Language Acquisition
Babbling 1st year:
- cooing and repetitive sounds
- reduplication
- unrelated sounds
- caretaker language- repetition of important words
Holophrastic 1-2:
- 200 new words
- first attempt at grammar
- wide range of initial consonants
- new lexis about their world
- links to wants and needs
- two word stage
Telegraphic 2-3:
- overextension
- under extension
- longer utterances
- word order clear
- abbreviate long words
- better pronunciation
Post-Telegraphic 3-5:
- connective words
- virtuous errors
- children become more fluent
- plurals, emotions, colors
- hypernyms and hyponyms
Child Directed Speech:
Phonology
- speak more slowly
- leave longer pauses between phrases
- use a higher and wider pitch range
Lexis and Semantics
- use of concrete nouns (cat,train) and dynamic verbs (give, put)
- frequent use of child’s name and an absence of pronouns
Grammar
- simpler constructions
- frequent use of imperatives
- high degree of repetition
- use of personal names instead of pronouns (‘Mummy’ not ‘I’)
, Halliday’s Theory
Function Example
Instrumental language can be compared to a tool- used to fulfil a need
Regulatory language that is used to influence the behaviour of others
including persuading, commanding or requesting
Interactional language that is used to develop relationships and ease
interaction
Personal language that expresses personal opinions
Representational language that is used to request information
Heuristic language that is used to explore, learn and discover
Imaginative the use of language to tell stories and create imaginary
constructs
Piaget
- thecognitive approachlinks language acquisitionto intellectual/cognitive
development, suggesting that children can only use certain linguistic structures when
they understand the concept involved
- a child cannot linguistically articulate concepts they do not understand
Babbling 1st year:
- cooing and repetitive sounds
- reduplication
- unrelated sounds
- caretaker language- repetition of important words
Holophrastic 1-2:
- 200 new words
- first attempt at grammar
- wide range of initial consonants
- new lexis about their world
- links to wants and needs
- two word stage
Telegraphic 2-3:
- overextension
- under extension
- longer utterances
- word order clear
- abbreviate long words
- better pronunciation
Post-Telegraphic 3-5:
- connective words
- virtuous errors
- children become more fluent
- plurals, emotions, colors
- hypernyms and hyponyms
Child Directed Speech:
Phonology
- speak more slowly
- leave longer pauses between phrases
- use a higher and wider pitch range
Lexis and Semantics
- use of concrete nouns (cat,train) and dynamic verbs (give, put)
- frequent use of child’s name and an absence of pronouns
Grammar
- simpler constructions
- frequent use of imperatives
- high degree of repetition
- use of personal names instead of pronouns (‘Mummy’ not ‘I’)
, Halliday’s Theory
Function Example
Instrumental language can be compared to a tool- used to fulfil a need
Regulatory language that is used to influence the behaviour of others
including persuading, commanding or requesting
Interactional language that is used to develop relationships and ease
interaction
Personal language that expresses personal opinions
Representational language that is used to request information
Heuristic language that is used to explore, learn and discover
Imaginative the use of language to tell stories and create imaginary
constructs
Piaget
- thecognitive approachlinks language acquisitionto intellectual/cognitive
development, suggesting that children can only use certain linguistic structures when
they understand the concept involved
- a child cannot linguistically articulate concepts they do not understand
