Ch-13, First Language Acquisition

Introduction

1. Speed and Sophistication:

 The text highlights the “remarkable speed” of first language
acquisition. Children become complex language users before
school, far exceeding any other creature or computer.
 This speed is coupled with “sophistication”: they develop a
system for self-expression and communication unmatched in its
depth and complexity.

2. Universal and Uninstructed Acquisition:

 First language acquisition occurs “without overt instruction”
and “for all healthy children”, regardless of their background or
circumstances.
 This universality strengthens the argument for an “innate
predisposition” to language in human infants.

3. Innate Capacity and External Input:

 The text acknowledges the existence of a “special innate
capacity for language” within every child.
 However, it emphasizes that this capacity alone is not sufficient.
“External input” in the form of interaction with language users
is crucial for activating and developing this innate potential.
Additional Notes:
 The text focuses on the “remarkable nature” of first language
acquisition, using its speed, sophistication, and universality to
support the idea of an innate language faculty.
 It emphasizes the “need for both internal and external factors”
for successful language development.
 While the text mentions the innate predisposition, it doesn't
delve into specific theories like Universal Grammar or the
Language Acquisition Device.

Acquisition

1. Language acquisition requires interaction:

 Children need exposure to and interaction with other language
users to acquire a specific language like English.
 Cases like Genie and deaf children with hearing parents
illustrate the importance of this interaction.

2. Language is not inherited but learned in a cultural context:

 Genetic inheritance doesn't determine the specific language a
child learns, but their environment does.
 They acquire the language of the community they interact with.

3. Physical ability to process sound signals is crucial:

 Infants naturally make "cooing" and "babbling" sounds, but
deaf children lose this ability due to lack of auditory input.
 Hearing and processing language sounds is essential for spoken
language acquisition.
4. Mere exposure to language is insufficient:
 Hearing language through TV or radio wasn't enough for the
boy in the case study to acquire English.
 Active interaction and communication with language users are
necessary.

5. Opportunity for interaction via language is key:

 The ability to interact with others through language, like the
boy's use of sign language with his parents, appears crucial for
acquisition.

Additional Notes:
 The text emphasizes the importance of social interaction and
environmental factors in language learning.
 It challenges the idea of language as purely genetic and
highlights the active role of the child in acquiring a language.
 The case studies serve as examples to illustrate the points
about interaction, exposure, and physical abilities.

Input and Caregiver Speech

1. Caregiver Speech:
 Adults modify their speech when interacting with young
children, using a simplified style called "caregiver speech"
(motherese, child-directed speech).
 Features of caregiver speech include:
  Frequent questions with exaggerated intonation, loudness, and
slow tempo.
 "Babytalk" words with simplified sounds and syllables.
 Interactive structure, responding to child's actions and
vocalizations as turns in conversation.
 Simple sentence structures and repetition.

2. Function of Caregiver Speech:

 Provides language samples and input for the child.
 Models basic structural organization of language.
 Adapts to the child's growing language skills, becoming more
elaborate.

3. Stages in Early Language Acquisition:

 The text mentions several stages but doesn't detail them.
 These stages likely involve progression from simple
vocalizations to babbling, single words, and then complex
sentences.

4. Overall Message:
 Caregiver speech plays a crucial role in helping infants acquire
language by providing a supportive and interactive environment
for learning.

Additional Notes:
 The text focuses on the characteristics and function of caregiver
speech rather than the specific mechanisms of language
acquisition.
  The example dialogue illustrates the interactive nature of
caregiver speech and the child's early attempts at
communication.

The Acquisition Schedule

1. Universal Acquisition Schedule:

 All children follow a similar timeline for language acquisition,
just like they do for motor skills.
 This suggests a biological basis for language development linked
to brain maturation.

2. Early Processing and Attention:

 Even before speaking, infants actively process and respond to
language input.
 Their sucking behavior and head movements reveal what
they're paying attention to.
3. Early Milestones:
 By 1 month, infants can distinguish sounds like [ba] and [pa].
 By 3 months, they develop different cry patterns, smile at
speakers, and start vocalizing.

Overall Message:
 Language acquisition follows a biologically driven schedule,
starting with early processing and attention before transitioning
to speech production.
Additional Notes:
  The text emphasizes the early stages of language development
before speaking begins.
 It doesn't delve into the specific stages or details of later
language acquisition.
 The focus is on the universal timeline and the biological basis of
language learning.

Cooing and Babbling

1. Cooing (First few months):

 Infants produce sequences of vowel-like sounds, especially high
vowels like [i] and [u].
 Later, they create velar consonants like [k] and [g], leading to
"cooing" or "gooing" sounds.
 By 5 months, babies can distinguish between vowels like [i] and
[a] and syllables like [ba] and [ga].

2. Babbling (6-10 months):

 Infants produce diverse vowels and consonants, combining
them into repeated syllables like "ba-ba-ba".
 Intonation and variation increase in later babbling (9-10
months) with sequences like "ba-ba-da-da".
 Nasal sounds become common, and syllables like "ma-ma-ma"
and "da-da-da" are often interpreted as "mama" and "dada".

3. Late Babbling (10-11 months):

 Children use vocalizations to express emotions and emphasis.
  Complex syllable combinations (e.g., "ma-da-ga-ba"), sound-
play, and imitation attempts occur.
 This "pre-language" use of sound provides experience with the
social role of speech.

4. Individual Variation:
 Age ranges for specific features are approximations and vary
between children.

Additional Notes:
 The text emphasizes the gradual progression from simple
vocalizations to more complex babbling with increasing age.
 It highlights the importance of early sound perception and the
ability to distinguish linguistic features.
 The final point reminds us that individual children may reach
developmental milestones at different times.

The One-Word Stage

1. Age and Features:

 Between 12 and 18 months, children enter the one-word stage.
 They begin uttering single words for objects like "milk,"
"cookie," and "cat."
 Other forms like "[Asæ]" may appear, suggesting attempts at
questions like "What's that?"
2. "One-Word" or "Single-Unit"?:
 The term "one-word" may be misleading as children might
intend more than just naming.
 "Single-unit" is a more accurate term for these utterances.
 Holophrastic describes how these single units function like
phrases or sentences.

3. Beyond Naming:
 While some utterances seem to name objects, others suggest
broader use.
 An empty bed might trigger the name of the child who sleeps
there, even if absent.
 This suggests the child understands both names but lacks the
grammar to combine them.

4. Development and Expectations:

 The text acknowledges the physical and cognitive limitations of
young children.
 Combining words might be too much at this stage, given their
motor and developmental progress.

Additional Notes:
 The text emphasizes the one-word stage as a stepping stone
towards more complex language.
 It highlights the importance of understanding children's
intentions behind their utterances.
 It acknowledges the individual variation in language
development and the need for realistic expectations.
Telegraphic Speech

1. Transition from Single Words to Multiple Words:

 Between 2 and 2.5 years old, children move beyond single-word
utterances and start producing "multiple-word" speech.
 The focus shifts from word count to the increasing variety of
word forms used.

2. Telegraphic Speech as a Stepping Stone:

 The text introduces "telegraphic speech" as a stage
characterized by short, grammatically simple phrases like "this
shoe all wet" or "daddy go bye-bye."
 This stage demonstrates the child's developing sentence-
building skills and ability to get word order correct.
 Despite its simplicity, telegraphic speech incorporates some
grammatical inflections and prepositions.

3. Rapid Development Beyond Telegraphic Speech:

 From 2.5 to 3 years, the child's vocabulary expands rapidly, with
increased initiation of talk and physical activity.
 Pronunciation becomes closer to adult speech, and vocabulary
reaches hundreds of words.
4. The Role of Adult Influence:
 The text poses the question of how adult interaction influences
the child's language development at this stage.
Additional Notes:
 The text emphasizes the gradual nature of language acquisition,
highlighting the transition from single words to multi-word
utterances with increasing complexity.
 Telegraphic speech serves as a bridge between these stages,
showcasing the child's emerging grammatical skills within a
simplified framework.
 The text raises the important question of the role adults play in
shaping the child's language development beyond telegraphic
speech.

The Acquisition Process

1. Children actively construct language, not passively acquire it.
 The author argues against the idea of children being "taught"
language. Instead, they actively try out and test constructions
they hear, building their own understanding of how the
language works.

2. Imitation plays a limited role.

 While children imitate some adult speech and pick up
vocabulary, they also frequently create their own words and
expressions, like Noah's "Woodstock" verb.

3. Adult corrections have limited impact.

 The author cites examples where children persist in using their
own constructions despite adult attempts to correct them.
4. Interaction and wordplay are key drivers.
 Both interacting with others and playing with words alone
contribute to language development. The example of the child
playing with "go dis way" highlights this process.

5. Telegraphic stage is just the beginning.

 The text focuses on the early stages of language acquisition but
hints at more complex features that emerge later in the
"steady stream of speech" children produce.

Additional Notes:
 The author emphasizes the child's active role in constructing
language, suggesting a creative and exploratory approach to
learning.
 The text highlights the limitations of adult intervention,
suggesting that children learn best through natural interaction
and independent exploration.
 The focus on wordplay and non-imitative utterances provides
insights into the child's internal processes and how they build
their linguistic repertoire.