Language Development:
Differences
EDU 280
Fall 2014
Standard English

Language of elementary schools and
textbooks

Language of the majority of the people in
the U.S.
Dialect

A variety of spoken language unique to a
geographic area or social group

May include phonological or sound
variations, syntactical variations, and
lexical, or vocabulary variations

Categories:


Regional & geographic
Social and ethnic
Black English
 Ebonics

a nonstandard form of English

A dialect often called Black English

Characterized by not conjugating the
verb “to be” and by dropping some final
consonants from words
Black English
Second Language Learners

2 categories

Children who came to this country at a very
young age or are born here to immigrants who
have lived in areas if the world where culture,
systems of government and social structures
differ from those in the U.S.

Native born

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Native Americans
Alaskan natves
Second Language Learners
Bilingual learner
 English as a second language student
 Students with limited English proficiency
 Language-minority learner
 English language learner
 Linguistically diverse student

Second Language Learners

Simultaneous Bilingualism


A child younger than 3 years of age who learns
two (sometimes more) languages at the same
time
Sequential Bilingualism

a child who learns a second language after the
age of 3
Children with Special Needs

Hearing Disorders



Characterized by the inability to hear sounds
clearly
May range from hearing speech sounds faintly
or in a distorted way to profound deafness
Speech-Language Disorders


Communication disorders that affect the way
people talk and understand
Range from simple sound substitutions to not
being able to use speech and language at all
Speech-Language Disorders

Non-organic causes

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
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lack of stimulation
lack of need to talk
poor speech models
lack of or low reinforcement
insecurity, anxiety, crisis
Language Delay
Characterized by a marked slowness in
the development of the vocabulary and
grammar necessary for expressing and
understanding thoughts and ideas
(NAHSA, 1985).
 May involve both comprehension and the
child's expressive language output and
quality.

Language Delay




A complete study of a child includes first looking
for physical causes, particularly hearing loss, and
other structural (voice producing) conditions.
Neurological limitations come under scrutiny, as
do emotional development factors.
Home environments and parental communicating
styles are examined when a thorough study by
speech-language pathologists takes place.
Referral to experts is considered if a child falls
two years behind his or her peers or when a
sudden change in a well progressing child is
noticed.
Language Delay

Dumtschin (1988) has identified possible
noticeable behavior of language-delayed
children:
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limited vocabularies
use short, simple sentences
make many grammatical errors
may have difficulty maintaining a conversation
talk more about the present and less about the
future
have difficulty in understanding others and in
making themselves understood
Articulation



Articulation disorders involve difficulties with the
way sounds are formed and strung together,
usually characterized by substituting one sound
for another, omitting a sound, or distorting a
sound.
If consonant sounds are misarticulated, they may
occur in the initial (beginning), medial (middle),
or ending positions in words.
Normally developing children don't master the
articulation of all consonants until age seven or
eight.
Articulation

Most young children (three to five years old)
hesitate, repeat, and re-form words as they
speak.

Imperfections occur for several reasons:

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A child does not pay attention as closely as an adult,
especially to certain high-frequency consonant sounds
The child may not be able to distinguish some sounds;
a child's coordination and control of his or her
articulatory mechanisms may not be perfected. For
example, he or she may be able to hear the difference
between Sue and shoe but cannot pronounce them
differently.
About 60% of all children with diagnosed articulation
problems are boys (Rubin, 1982).
Articulation characteristics of young
children include:
Substitution. One sound is substituted for
another, as in "wabbit" for rabbit or "thun"
for sun.
 Omission. The speaker leaves out a sound
that should be articulated. He or she says
"at" for hat, "ca" for cat, "icky" for sticky,
"probly" for probably. The left out sound
may be at the beginning, middle, or end of
a word.
 Distortion. A sound is said inaccurately
but is similar to the intended sound.

Articulation characteristics of young
children include:
Addition. The speaker adds a sound, as
in "li-it-tle" for little and "muv-va-ver" for
mother.
 Transposition. The position of sounds in
words is switched, as in "hangerber" for
hamburger and "aminal" for animal.
 Lisp. The s, z, sh, th, ch, and j sounds are
distorted. There are from 2 to 10 types of
lisps noted by speech experts.

Causes of Articulation Disorders

Physical conditions

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Problems in the mouth


Cleft palate
Hearing loss
Dental abnormality
Faulty learning of speech sounds
Voice Disorders
Pitch
 Loudness
 Resonance
 Quality (hoarseness, etc)

Fluency Disorders

Stuttering

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Involves the rhythm of speech
Characterized by

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abnormal stoppages with no sound
Repetitions
Prolonged sounds or syllables
May be unusual facial or body movements
Involves 4 times as many males as females
Cluttering


Involves the rate of speaking and includes
errors in articulation, stress and pausing
Speech seems too fast with syllables running
together
Fluency Disorders

Cluttering


Involves the rate of speaking and includes
errors in articulation, stress and pausing
Speech seems too fast with syllables running
together
Normal Dysfluency

Approximately 25% of all children go
through a stage of development during
which they stutter.
Selective Mutism

Children who can speak but don't.

May display functional speech in selected
settings (usually at home) and/or choose
to speak only with certain individuals
(often siblings or same-language
speakers).

Researchers believe selective mutism, if it
happens, commonly occurs between ages
3 and 5 years.
Hearing

A screening of young children's auditory
acuity may uncover hearing loss.

The seriousness of the problem is related
both to the degree of loss and the range of
sound frequencies that are most affected
(Harris, 1990).

The earlier the diagnosis, the more effective
the treatment. Since young children
develop ear infections frequently, schools
alert parents when a child's listening
behavior seems newly impaired.
Otitis media

Any inflammation of the middle ear.

Many preschoolers have ear infections
during preschool years, and many children
have clear fluid in the middle ear that
goes undetected (NAHSA, 1985).

Even though the hearing loss caused by
otitis media may be small and temporary,
it may have a serious effect on speech
and language learning for a preschool
child.
Diagnosing an Ear Infection
Anatomy of the Ear
Ear Tube
Otitis media

If undetected hearing distortion or loss
lasts for a long period, the child can fall
behind.

Signs
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General inattentiveness,
wanting to get close to hear,
having trouble with directions,
irritability, or
pulling and rubbing the ear
Hearing Impairments




Preschool staff members who notice children who
confuse words with similar sounds may the the first
to suspect auditory perception difficulties or mild to
moderate hearing loss.
Mild hearing impairment may masquerade as:
• stubbornness
• lack of interest
• a learning disability.
With intermittent deafness, children may have
difficulty comprehending oral language.
Severe impairment impedes language development
and is easier to detect than the far more subtle
signs of mild loss.
Advanced Language Achievement

Each child is unique.

Teachers will encounter young children
with advanced language development.

A few children speak clearly and use long,
complex, adult like speech at two, three,
or four years of age.

They express ideas originally and
excitedly, enjoying individual and group
discussions.
Advanced Language Achievement
Some may read simple primers (or other
books) along with classroom word labels.
 Activities that are commonly used with
kindergarten or first-grade children may
interest them.
 Just as there is no stereotypical average
child, language talented children are also
unique individuals.
 Inferring these language precocious
children are also intellectually gifted isn't
at issue here.

They may exhibit many of the following
characteristics.
Attend to tasks in a persistent manner for
long periods of time.
 Focus deeply or submerge themselves in
what they are doing.
 Speak maturely and use a
larger-than-usual vocabulary.
 Show a searching, exploring curiosity.
 Ask questions that go beyond immediate
happenings.
 Demonstrate avid interest in words,
alphabet letters, numbers, or writing
tools.

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Remember small details of past experiences
and compare them with present happenings.
Read books (or words) by memorizing
pictures or words.
Rapidly acquire English skills, if bilingual,
when exposed to a language-rich
environment.
Tell elaborate stories.
Show a mature or unusual sense of humor for
age (Kitano, 1982).
Possess an exceptional memory. Exhibit high
concentration.
Show attention to detail and a rich
imagination.
Possess a sense of wonder.
Problems in communication skills for
children ages 6 to 12 years may include:

Hearing difficulties

Difficulty with attention, following
complex/compound directions in the
classroom

Difficulty retaining information

Poor vocabulary acquisition

Difficulties with grammar and syntax
Problems in communication skills for
children ages 6 to 12 years may include

Difficulties with organization of expressive
language or with narrative discourse

Difficulties with academic achievement,
reading, and writing

Unclear speech

Persistent stuttering or a lisp
Problems in communication skills for
children ages 6 to 12 years may include

Voice-quality abnormalities, such as a
strained, hoarse quality (may require a
medical examination by an
otolaryngologist [an ear, nose and throat
specialist])

These communication problems can be
helped by medical professionals, such as
speech pathologists, therapists or the
child's doctor.