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CD 30
CHAPTER 9
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
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LANGUAGE is a systematic arrangement of arbitrary symbols that creates meaning. It allows
communication among individuals.
LANGUAGE ----------- SOCIAL INTERACTION
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Since birth, children have the ability to acquire language. As they grow, children develop words
and understand symbols. INNATE ABILITY -> INTERACTIONS -> IMITATIONS
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Language includes:
a) What words mean (e.g., "star" as a bright object in the sky or a celebrity)
b) How to make new words (e.g., friend, friendly, unfriendly)
c) How to put words together (e.g., "Peg went to the store" rather than "Peg went store")
d) What word combinations are best in what situations ("Would you mind moving your foot?" vs.
"Get off my foot, please)
Speech is the verbal means of communicating and consists of the following:
a) Articulation= How speech sounds are made (e.g., "rabbit" instead of "wabbit").
b) Voice= Use of the vocal folds and breathing to produce sound
c) Fluency= The rhythm of speech (e.g., hesitations or stuttering can affect fluency)
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RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE: When a person understands others
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EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE: When a person can share thoughts, ideas, and feelings verbally
0-3 months
Responds to loud sounds, startle, or cry and makes pleasure sounds.
Listens and turns to speech and repeats sounds
Smiles when spoken to and cries differently for different needs.
Recognizes adult’s voice and smiles when he or she sees caregiver
4 to 6 months
Responds to tone of voice (loud or soft) and makes gurgling sounds when alone.
Looks around for sound and tells you using gestures to repeat something. Back and forth play.
Notices noise or sound from toys and uses speech or non-crying sounds to get and keep your
attention.
7 to 12 months
Enjoys games like peek-a-boo and patty-cake and uses speech or non-crying sounds to get your
attention.
Listens when spoken to and imitates different speech sounds.
Recognizes words for common items like juice, cup, doll and babbles using sounds such as “tata,
upup, bibibibi.”
Uses 1 or 2 words (“bye-bye, no, dada”)
12 to 24 months
Follows simple commands and understands simple questions (“Roll the ball, Where is the
doll?”). Uses many consonant sounds at the beginning of words.
Points to a few body parts and can put two words together like “no juice,” “more milk”.
Points to pictures in a book when they are named and uses one- to two-word questions
(“Where kitty?” “Go bye-bye?”).
24 to 36 months
Follows 2 step directions and ask for objects by naming them.
Continues to notice sounds (phone, TV sound) and speech is understood most of the time.
Understands differences in meaning like go, stop, big, little, up, down and uses two- to threeword “sentences” . Extensive vocabulary for almost everything.
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Connection between language and cognitive development. Nature vs. nurture. Early
interactions influence brain development that supports language development. Vocabulary
growth depends on the amount of interactive experiences. Meaningful interactions fosters
vocabulary.
Fostering language development:
1) Use real talk when talking to children
2) Listen to children
3) Encourage children to listen
4) Have a dialogue not a monologue
5) Play games with sounds and words
6) Sing songs and rhymes
7) Have opportunities for conversations
8) Read books
9) Ask open ended questions
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Bilingualism is the ability to communicate in more than one language and can be thought of as a
continuum of language skills in which proficiency in any of the languages used may fluctuate
over time and across social settings, conversational partners, and topics, among other variables.
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Simultaneous bilingualism- acquisition of two languages at the same time, typically introduced
prior to age 3
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Sequential bilingualism- a second language introduced after age 3, at which time some level of
proficiency has been established in the primary language, also referred as second language
acquisition
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Dual English learners: individuals learning two languages simultaneously from infancy or who
are learning a second language after the first language.
Language delays
Lack of interest in social contact (avoids eye contact, holds body rigidly)
Lack of response to the human voice or other sounds
Stops babbling
Does not show interest in objects and caregivers
Does not follow directions
Does not give, show, or point at objects
Does not participate in games such as patty-cake or peek-a-boo.
By 24 months, child has less than 25 words
By 36 months, child has a limited vocabulary, uses only short sentences, makes grammatical
errors, has trouble communicating and conversing with others, misunderstands questions most
of the time, unable to have social play with other children of the same age.