Introduction to First

Language Acquisition
(FLA) - language
development:
babbling, words,
sounds and
pronunciation, syntax
and morphology
Week 2
Lecture 2
First Language
Acquisition (FLA):
• One remarkable thing about first language
acquisition is the high degree of similarity in
the early stages. For example, the earliest
vocalizations are simply the involuntary crying
that babies do when they are hungry or
uncomfortable.
• For some language features, developmental
sequences or "stages" have been described.
These stages are related to children's
cognitive development. For example, children
do not use temporal adverbs such as "tomorrow"
or "last week" until they develop some
understanding of time.
‫ هناك تشابه ملحوظ بني األطفال حيث‬،‫ في املراحل األولى‬.‫( يشير إلى عملية اكتساب الفرد للغته األولى بشكل طبيعي‬FLA) ‫اكتساب اللغة األولى‬
.‫تكون أوائل التعبيرات الصوتية بسيطة وتشمل البكاء االختياري الذي يقوم به األطفال عندما يكونون جائعني أو غير مرتاحني‬

‫ ال يستخدم‬،‫ على سبيل املثال‬.‫ ترتبط هذه املراحل بتطور الطفل املعرفي‬."‫ تم وصف تسلسالت تطورية أو "مراحل‬،‫بالنسبة لبعض خصائص اللغة‬
.‫األطفال ظروف الزمن مثل "غًدا" أو "األسبوع املاضي" حتى يفهموا بعض مفاهيم الوقت‬
First Language
Acquisition (FLA):
• In other cases, the developmental
sequences seem to reflect the gradual
mastery of linguistic elements for
expressing ideas that have been present
in children's cognitive understanding for
a long time.
• For example, children can distinguish
between singular and plural long before
they reliably add plural endings to nouns.
Mastering irregular plurals takes longer
than regular plurals, and children often
make errors in this area. ‫ يظهر أن سلسلة التطور تعكس تدريج‬،‫في بعض الحاالت‬
‫اتقان العناصر اللغوية للتعبير عن أفكار كانت موجودة في‬
،‫ على سبيل املثال‬.‫فهم األطفال اإلدراكي لفترة طويلة‬
‫يستطيع األطفال التفرقة بني املفرد والجمع قبل أن يضيفوا‬
‫ تتطلب اتقان‬.‫تشكيل الجمع بشكل موثوق على األسماء‬
‫التشكيل للجمع غير النظامي وقت ًا أطول من التشكيل‬
.‫ وغالبًا ما يرتكب األطفال أخطاء في هذا املجال‬،‫النظامي‬
 • In the 1960s, several researchers
focused on how children acquire
grammatical morphemes in English.
Roger Brown • One of the best-known studies was
and his carried out by Roger Brown and his
colleagues. In a longitudinal study
colleagues’ of the language development of
study: three children (called Adam, Eve,
‫ ركز العديد من الباحثني‬،‫في الستينيات‬
and Sarah), they found that
‫على كيفية اكتساب األطفال لألشكال‬
‫ أحد‬.‫اللغوية النحوية في اللغة اإلنجليزية‬
fourteen grammatical
‫أشهر الدراسات كانت تلك التي أجراها‬
‫ في دراسة طويلة‬.‫روجر براون وزمالؤه‬ morphemes were acquired in a
‫املدى حول تطور اللغة لثالثة أطفال )تم‬
‫ اكتشفوا أن‬،(‫ وسارة‬،‫ إيف‬،‫تسميتهم آدم‬ remarkably similar sequence.
‫أربعة عشر نمطًا لألشكال اللغوية تم‬
.‫اكتسابها بتسلسل متشابه بشكل ملحوظ‬
 What are Grammatical
Morphemes?
• Grammatical morphemes are small units of language that carry
meaning and are used to create grammatically correct sentences.
Examples:
• present progressive -ing: "I am playing with my toys."
• prepositions in, on, under: "The ball is under the couch."
• plural -s: "I have two dogs.“
• irregular past tense (e.g. went, ate): "Yesterday, I ate pizza for
dinner."
• possessive -'s: "That's Mommy's phone." 6. uncontractible copula
(e.g. It is hot): "The sun is shining.“
• articles a, the: "Can I have a cookie? The cookie is on the plate.“
• regular past tense -ed: "I walked to the park."
• third person singular -s (e.g. He walks): "She runs fast."
• irregular third person (e.g. She has): "He has a toy car.“
 • The list of morphemes they studied includes:
present progressive -ing, prepositions in, on,
regular plural -s, irregular past tense, possessive
-s, uncontractible copula, articles a, the, past
tense -ed, third person regular -s, third person
Roger Brown irregular, uncontractible auxiliary, contractible
and his copula, and contractible auxiliary.
• The study found that children acquire these
colleagues’ morphemes in a specific order, with some
study: morphemes being acquired earlier than others.
• This research has been influential in
‫ مثل الفعل املضارع‬،‫قام روجر براون وزمالؤه بدراسة ألشكال لغوية معينة في اللغة اإلنجليزية‬
‫ الخلقية غير القابلة‬،s- ‫ امللكية‬،‫ املاضي الشاذ‬،s- ‫ الجمع العادي‬،on‫ و‬in ‫ حروف الجر‬،ing- understanding how children acquire language
‫ الضمير في‬،s- ‫ الضمير في الجمع الثالث‬،ed- ‫ املاضي‬،the‫ و‬a ‫ التعريفات‬،‫لالختصار‬
‫ الفعل املضارع قابل‬،‫ الفعل املساعد غير القابل لالختصار‬،‫الجمع الثالث غير العادي‬
.‫ والفعل املساعد قابل لالختصار‬،‫لالختصار‬
and has implications for language teaching.
‫ حيث يكتسبون‬،‫وأظهرت الدراسة أن األطفال يكتسبون هذه األشكال اللغوية بترتيب معني‬
‫ وقد كانت هذه األبحاث لها تأثير كبير في فهم كيفية اكتساب‬.‫بعض األشكال قبل اآلخرين‬
.‫األطفال للغة ولها تأثيرات على تدريس اللغة‬
Examples of stages in learning in the first language

NEGATION QUESTIONS
Negation
• Children learn the functions of
negation very early, such as
commenting on the disappearance of
objects, refusing a suggestion, or
rejecting an assertion.
• The acquisition of negation is an
important milestone in language
development and reflects children's
growing understanding of the world ‫األطفال يتعلمون استخدام النفي في وظائفه‬
around them. It takes some time ‫ مثل التعليق على اختفاء‬،‫بشكل مبكر‬
.‫ أو نفي تأكيد‬،‫ رفض اقتراح‬،‫األشياء‬
before children can express negation ‫اكتساب مهارة النفي يعتبر إنجاًزا هاًما في‬
in sentences using the appropriate ‫تطور اللغة ويعكس الفهم املتزايد لألطفال‬
‫ يتطلب بعض الوقت قبل أن‬.‫للعالم من حولهم‬
words and word order. ‫يتمكن األطفال من التعبير عن النفي في‬
‫جمل باستخدام الكلمات املناسبة وترتيب‬
.‫الكلمات‬
 ‫ وتظهر‬،‫ تصبح الجمل أطول‬:2 ‫املرحلة‬
‫ الجمل التي‬.‫الكلمة النفيسة قبل الفعل‬
‫تعبر عن الرفض أو الحظر غالبًا ما‬
‫ يعبر النفي عادة عن طريق‬:1 ‫املرحلة‬
‫ “أبي ال‬:‫ أمثلة‬.”‫تستخدم “ال تفعل‬
‫ إما بمفردها أو كأول كلمة‬،”‫كلمة “ال‬
”.‫” “ال تلمس ذلك‬.‫يمشط الشعر‬
‫ “ال!” “ال كوكي!” “ال‬:‫ أمثلة‬.‫في الجملة‬
”!‫تمشط الشعر‬ Stage 2: Utterances grow longer
Stage 1: Negation is usually and the negative word appears
expressed by the word "no," just before the verb. Sentences
either alone or as the first word in expressing rejection or prohibition
an utterance. Examples: "No!" often use "don't." Examples:
Stages of "No cookie!" "No comb hair!" "Daddy no comb hair." "Don't
touch that."

learning ‫ يبدأ األطفال في ربط العنصر النفي بالشكل‬:4 ‫املرحلة‬

Negation: Stage 3: Children begin to use

:‫ أمثلة‬.”be“ ‫” و‬do“ ‫الصحيح لألفعال املساعدة مثل‬
”.‫” “إنها ال تريده‬.‫“أنت لم تتناول العشاء‬

Stage 4: Children begin to attach

negative words in more complex
‫ يبدأ األطفال في استخدام كلمات النفي‬:3 ‫املرحلة‬
‫ مثل األسئلة والجمل التي‬،‫في جمل أكثر تعقيًدا‬
sentences, such as questions and
‫ “أليس لديك‬:‫ مثال‬.‫تحتوي على أفعال مساعدة‬ sentences with auxiliary verbs.
”‫إعجاب باآليس كريم؟‬ Example: "Don't you like ice
cream?“
the negative element to the
correct form of auxiliary verbs
such as "do" and "be." Examples:
"You didn't have supper." "She
doesn't want it.“
Questions

• The development of question formation is

an important milestone in language
development and reflects children's
growing ability to communicate and
understand the world around them.
Stages of Learning Questions:
‫ أولى أسئلة األطفال تكون عادة‬:1 ‫املرحلة‬
‫ يبدأ األطفال في استخدام ترتيب الكلمات في‬:2 ‫املرحلة‬
‫عبارة عن كلمات وحيدة أو جمل بسيطة من‬
‫ “هل تحب‬:‫ أمثلة‬.‫الجملة التصريحية مع ارتفاع في اللحن‬
‫كلمتني أو ثالث كلمات مع ارتفاع في‬
”‫ “بسكويت؟” “أمي كتاب؟‬:‫ أمثلة‬.‫اللحن‬
Stage 1: Children's earliest
questions are single words or
simple two- or three-word
sentences with rising
intonation. Examples:
"Cookie?" "Mummy book?"
‫ يبدأ األطفال في استخدام التبديل لتشكيل‬:4 ‫املرحلة‬
:‫ أمثلة‬.‫ مثل تبديل مكان املوضوع والفعل املساعد‬،‫األسئلة‬
”‫“هل تناولت اإلفطار؟” “هل ستذهب إلى الحديقة؟‬
Stage 4: Children begin to use
inversion to form questions,
such as switching the subject
and auxiliary verb. Examples:
"Did you eat breakfast?" "Are
you going to the park?"
”‫هذا؟” “هل لدي شيء؟‬
Stage 2: Children begin to use
the word order of the
declarative sentence, with
rising intonation. Examples:
"You like this?" "I have some?"
‫ يبدأ األطفال في استخدام كلمات النفي في جمل‬:5 ‫املرحلة‬
‫ مثل الجمل التي تحتوي على معاني الظروف‬،‫أكثر تعقيًدا‬
”.‫ “ال أعتقد أنه سيأتي‬:‫ مثال‬.‫والجمل املضمنة‬
Stage 5: Children begin to use
negative words in more
complex sentences, such as
sentences with modals and
embedded clauses. Example: "I
don't think he will come."
‫ يالحظ األطفال أن بنية األسئلة مختلفة‬:3 ‫املرحلة‬
.‫ويبدأون في صياغة أسئلة تحتوي على أفعال مساعدة‬
”‫ “هل يمكنني الذهاب؟” “هل تريد اللعب؟‬:‫أمثلة‬
Stage 3: Children notice that
the structure of questions is
different and begin to produce
questions with auxiliary verbs.
Examples: "Can I go?" "Do you
want to play?"
‫ يكون األطفال قادرين على تشكيل جميع‬:6 ‫املرحلة‬
‫ بما في ذلك األسئلة‬،‫أنواع األسئلة بشكل صحيح‬
‫ “هل تعرف أين‬:‫ مثال‬.‫السلبية واملعقدة املضمنة‬
”‫كتابي؟‬
Stage 6: Children are able to
correctly form all question
types, including negative and
complex embedded questions.
Example: "Do you know where
my book is?"
 Pre-school years:
• Three- and four-year-olds continue to learn vocabulary at
the rate of several words a day.
• They begin to acquire less frequent and more complex
linguistic structures such as passives and relative clauses.
• Children spend much of their language acquisition effort
in the late pre-school years developing their ability to use
language in a widening social environment.
• They use language in a greater variety of situations and
interact more often with unfamiliar adults.
• They acquire the aggressive or cajoling language that is
needed to defend their toys in the playground.
• Children show that they have learned the difference
between how adults talk to babies and how they talk to
each other, and they use this knowledge in elaborate
pretend play in which they practice using these different
'voices'.
:‫ﻓﻲ ﺳﻨﻮات ﻣﺎ ﻗﺒﻞ اﻟﻤﺪرﺳﺔ‬
‫ اﻷطﻔﺎل اﻟﺒﺎﻟﻐﯿﻦ ﻣﻦ ﺛﻼث وأرﺑﻊ ﺳﻨﻮات ﯾﻮاﺻﻠﻮن ﺗﻌﻠﻢ‬-
.‫اﻟﻤﻔﺮدات ﺑﻤﻌﺪل ﻋﺪة ﻛﻠﻤﺎت ﯾﻮﻣﯿًﺎ‬
‫ ﯾﺒﺪأون ﻓﻲ اﻛﺘﺴﺎب ھﯿﺎﻛﻞ ﻟﻐﻮﯾﺔ أﻗﻞ ﺗﻜﺮاًرا وأﻛﺜﺮ ﺗﻌﻘﯿًﺪا ﻣﺜﻞ‬-
.‫اﻟﺠﻤﻞ اﻟﺴﻠﺒﯿﺔ واﻟﺠﻤﻞ اﻟﻨﺴﺒﯿﺔ‬
‫ ﯾﻘﻀﻲ اﻷطﻔﺎل ﻣﻌﻈﻢ ﺟﮭﺪ اﻛﺘﺴﺎب اﻟﻠﻐﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺴﻨﻮات اﻟﻤﺘﺄﺧﺮة‬-
‫ﻣﻦ ﻣﺮﺣﻠﺔ ﻣﺎ ﻗﺒﻞ اﻟﻤﺪرﺳﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺗﻄﻮﯾﺮ ﻗﺪرﺗﮭﻢ ﻋﻠﻰ اﺳﺘﺨﺪام اﻟﻠﻐﺔ‬
.‫ﻓﻲ ﺑﯿﺌﺔ اﺟﺘﻤﺎﻋﯿﺔ ﺗﺘﺴﻊ‬
‫ ﯾﺴﺘﺨﺪﻣﻮن اﻟﻠﻐﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋﺔ أﻛﺒﺮ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﻮاﻗﻒ وﯾﺘﻔﺎﻋﻠﻮن‬-
.‫ﺑﺸﻜﻞ أﻛﺜﺮ ﻣﻊ اﻟﻜﺒﺎر اﻟﺬﯾﻦ ﻻ ﯾﻌﺮﻓﻮﻧﮭﻢ‬
‫ ﯾﻜﺘﺴﺒﻮن اﻟﻠﻐﺔ اﻟﻌﺪاﺋﯿﺔ أو اﻟﻤﻐﺮﯾﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺤﺘﺎج إﻟﻰ ﺣﻤﺎﯾﺔ‬-
.‫أﻟﻌﺎﺑﮭﻢ ﻓﻲ ﺳﺎﺣﺔ اﻟﻠﻌﺐ‬
‫ ﯾﻈﮭﺮون أﻧﮭﻢ ﺗﻌﻠﻤﻮا اﻟﻔﺮق ﺑﯿﻦ ﻛﯿﻔﯿﺔ ﺣﺪﯾﺚ اﻟﻜﺒﺎر ﻣﻊ اﻟﺮﺿﻊ‬-
‫ وﯾﺴﺘﺨﺪﻣﻮن ھﺬه اﻟﻤﻌﺮﻓﺔ ﻓﻲ‬،‫وﻛﯿﻔﯿﺔ ﺣﺪﯾﺜﮭﻢ ﻣﻊ ﺑﻌﻀﮭﻢ اﻟﺒﻌﺾ‬
‫اﻟﻠﻌﺐ اﻟﺘﻤﺜﯿﻠﻲ اﻟﻤﻌﻘﺪ ﺣﯿﺚ ﯾﻤﺎرﺳﻮن اﺳﺘﺨﺪام ھﺬه اﻷﺻﻮات‬
.‫اﻟﻤﺨﺘﻠﻔﺔ‬
 .‫ ﯾﻄﻮر اﻷطﻔﺎل اﻟﻘﺪرة ﻋﻠﻰ ﻓﮭﻢ اﻟﻠﻐﺔ واﺳﺘﺨﺪاﻣﮭﺎ ﻟﻠﺘﻌﺒﯿﺮ ﻋﻦ أﻧﻔﺴﮭﻢ‬،‫ﻓﻲ ﻓﺘﺮة اﻟﺴﻨﻮات اﻟﻤﺪرﺳﯿﺔ‬
.‫ﻀﺎ وﻋﯿًﺎ ﻟﻐﻮﯾًﺎ أﻛﺜﺮ ﺗﻄﻮًرا وﺗﻌﻘﯿًﺪا‬
ً ‫• ﯾﻜﺘﺴﺐ اﻷطﻔﺎل أﯾ‬
.‫• ﺗﻌﻠﻢ اﻟﻘﺮاءة ﯾﻌﺰز ﺑﺸﻜﻞ ﻛﺒﯿﺮ ھﺬا اﻟﺠﺎﻧﺐ ﻣﻦ ﺗﻄﻮر اﻟﻠﻐﺔ‬
‫• رؤﯾﺔ اﻟﻜﻠﻤﺎت ُﻣﻤﺜﻠﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﺤﺮوف واﻟﺮﻣﻮز اﻷﺧﺮى ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺼﻔﺤﺔ ﺗﻮﺟﮫ اﻷطﻔﺎل إﻟﻰ ﻓﮭﻢ ﺟﺪﯾﺪ ﺑﺄن ﻟﻠﻐﺔ‬
.‫ﺷﻜﻼً ﺑﺎﻹﺿﺎﻓﺔ إﻟﻰ ﻣﻌﻨﺎھﺎ‬
.‫• اﻟﻘﺮاءة ﺗﻌﺰز اﻟﻔﮭﻢ ﺑﺄن 'اﻟﻜﻠﻤﺔ' ﻣﺴﺘﻘﻠﺔ ﻋﻦ اﻟﺸﻲء اﻟﺬي ﺗُﻤﺜﻠﮫ‬
.'‫ ﺗﻤﺎًﻣﺎ ﻣﺜﻞ 'اﻟﻤﻨﺰل‬،‫• اﻷطﻔﺎل اﻟﺬﯾﻦ ﯾﺴﺘﻄﯿﻌﻮن اﻟﻘﺮاءة ﯾﺪرﻛﻮن أن 'اﻟﺘﻌﺮﯾﻒ' ھﻮ ﻛﻠﻤﺔ‬
.‫• ﯾﻔﮭﻤﻮن أن ﻟﻠﻐﺔ ﻗﻮاﻋﺪ وأﻧﻤﺎط ﯾﻤﻜﻦ ﺗﻌﻠﻤﮭﺎ وﺗﻄﺒﯿﻘﮭﺎ‬

• In the school years, children develop the ability to understand language and to use it to
express themselves.
• Children also develop more sophisticated metalinguistic awareness.
• Learning to read gives a major boost to this aspect of language development.
School years: • Seeing words represented by letters and other symbols on a page leads children to a new
understanding that language has form as well as meaning.
• Reading reinforces the understanding that a 'word' is separate from the thing it
represents.
• Children who can read understand that 'the' is a word, just as 'house' is.
• They understand that language has rules and patterns that can be learned and applied.
Homework:
Choose the MOST accurate answer:
1- School Children's Understanding of Language Post-Reading
A) Language only has meaning, not form
B) Language has both form and meaning
C) Language is only spoken
D) Language is primarily used for communication
2- Implication of Roger Brown's Research
A) Limited impact on language teaching
B) Influential in understanding language acquisition
C) Disproved previous language theories
D) Showed no specific order in morpheme acquisition
Homework:
Choose the Most Accurate Answer:
3- Why do children not use temporal adverbs like "tomorrow" or "last week" in the early
stages of language development?
A. They haven't learned these words yet
B. They lack an understanding of time
C. They prefer simpler words
D. They focus on basic needs communication

4- Preschool Children's Understanding of Different 'Voices’

A. They don’t distinguish between how adults talk to babies and to each other
B. They mimic how adults talk to pets
C. They understand the difference between how adults talk to babies and to each other
D. They prefer using baby talk in all situations