LANGUAGE

DEVELOPMENT
 What Is Language?
A socially shared code to express thoughts and concepts
Language is a law of grammar and semantic that
makes conversation more meaningful.
Covers ways of communication where thoughts and emotions
are being expressed in order to convey message/meaning to
others
 Is Language Development Important?

Language Development is important because:

Through language children interact with other
people.
Language development are very much related to
intellectual development
Through language children are able to progress in
other developmental domain.
Forms of communication
Writing
Conversation (verbal)
Sign Language
Body/hand gestures
Facial expression
 Language can be divided into:
Non-verbal (Understanding)
Hand/body gestures
Symbolic understanding
Understand what others said (Baby understand what being said
although hes still not able to talk yet)
Verbal
Sound/Words are being said to convey message/ meaning
involves the coordination of articulation organs (voice box,
trachea, tongue, cheek, lips & palate)
Understanding of meaning and sound being said occurs
simultaneously
What is Speech?
Speech is the verbal means of communicating.
Speech includes:
Articulation How speech sounds are made,
and the rules that govern how they are
combined (phonology).
Voice The use of the vocal folds and
breathing to produce sound.
Fluency The rhythm of speech (hesitations
or stuttering can negatively affect fluency).
Stages Of Language Development In
Children

A child speech sounds will develop as he grows.

Language development stage:
Pre-linguistic speech (pre-conversation)
Linguistic speech (conversation)
 Pre-linguistic Speech (Pre-conversation)
Babys ability to understand and convey a message through:-
Crying
Cooing & Babbling
Cooing (3-5 mths) mostly vowels sound (aaaa, uuuuu, oooo.)
Babbling (6-18 mths) comprising of consonant and vowel sounds
(BA, MA, ga, pa)

Body Gestures
Facial expressions convey message of emotions

Becoming a communicator
Infant & adult follow each others gaze
This will speed up language development
Simple infant game pat-a- cake/ peekaboo demonstrate
conventional turn taking.
At the end of the first year infants use preverbal gestures to
influence the behavior of others.
Linguistic speech : Early Language Development
First word: One-word utterance - (18-24 mths)
Limited in both vowels & consonant single word (BALL, DAD, HIT.)
Children first words usually refer to important people, objects that
move, familiar actions or outcomes of familiar actions.
Emotions also influence early word learning.
Two-word Utterance phase and telegraphic speech (24-30 mths)
Simple sentence (BAD DOG, Want food, Me hungry).
Young toddlers add words to their vocabularies slowly (1-3 words a
month) but after this stage a spurt of vocabularies occurs10-20 new
words a week.
Telegraphic speech occurs where in the 2 words utterance phase
toddlers will leave out smaller and less important words.
The physical development & connection of the sound of language.
Basic adult sentence structure (above 30 mths) building sentence
presence of grammatical and functional structure, and continuing
vocabulary acquisition.
 Linguistic Components

4 component in linguistic development:

Phonological development
Semantic development
Grammar development
Pragmatic development
 Phonological development
The Sound of word a, e, i, o, u
Understanding & pronouncing words
Vocabulary
Fast mappingabsorb the meaning of a new word after hearing it only
once or twice in conversation
The use of metaphor, a figure of speech in which a word or phrase that
usually designates one thing is applied to another, becomes increasingly
common
A child learn to pronounce through imitation (repetitive)
Eg. TV (ivi), Susu (cu), Minum (num), tumpah (pah)

A deaf child normally have problem in speaking

 Semantic Development
What does a word mean?

A child learn the meaning of words then combine the

words
A child will then try to relate the meaning of certain
words with its sound.
Addition to his/her vocabulary.
 Grammar Development (Syntax)
How do we put words together to convey meaning

The way in which words are put together to form phrases,

clauses, or sentences
Children learn about grammar, ie. add words to make simple
sentences.
2 phase:
The development of simple sentences from basic words.
The development of complex sentences.
Children start asking questions thinking & understanding
process is very rapid.
Intelligent children use complex and sophisticated
sentences/words
As age increases familiarity with words and sentences
increases able to use, different form of sentences.
 Pragmatic Development
What word combinations do we use in certain social situations.
Excuse me. vs. Get out of my way!

Children learn about the aim and how certain words and
sentences are being used in a conversation use language
efficiently in social context.
Pragmatics the practical knowledge of how to use language to
communicate.
Social speech
Speech intended to be understood by a listener
Private Speech
Talking aloud to oneself with no intent to communicate with
others
Normal and common in childhood
 LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENTAL
MILESTONE
 Influences on Language Development
Maturation of the Brain: Cortical regions associated with
language do not fully mature until late preschool years or
later
Brocas area, located in the frontal lobe, controls
language production.
Wernickes area, located in the temporal lobe, controls
language comprehension.
6 Months
Babbling begins
Some consonant sounds can be heard
Vocalization with intonation
Responds to his name
Responds to human voices without visual cues by turning
his head and eyes
Responds appropriately to friendly and angry tones
12 Months
Uses one or more words with meaning (this may be a
fragment of a word)
First word approximations (e.g. dada for daddy)
Non-verbal communication
Jargon (i.e. unintelligible speech) still present
Understands simple instructions, especially if vocal or
physical cues are given
Is aware of the social value of speech
18 Months
Has vocabulary of approximately 5-20 words
Vocabulary made up chiefly of nouns
Some echolalia (repeating a word or phrase over and
over)
Much jargon with emotional content
Is able to follow simple commands
24 Months
40-50 words at 24 months
Can name a number of objects common to his surroundings
Is able to use at least two prepositions, usually chosen from the
following: in, on, under
Combines words into a short sentence-largely noun-verb
combinations (mean) length of sentences is given as 1.2 words
Volume and pitch of voice not yet well-controlled
Can use two pronouns correctly: I, me, you, although me and I are
often confused
My and mine are beginning to emerge
Responds to such commands as "show me your eyes (nose,
mouth, hair)"
36 Months
Use pronouns I, you, me correctly
Is using some plurals and past tenses
Knows at least three prepositions, usually in, on, under
Knows chief parts of body and should be able to indicate these if not
name
Handles three word sentences easily
Has in the neighborhood of 900-1000 words
Verbs begin to predominate
Understands most simple questions dealing with his environment and
activities
Relates his experiences so that they can be followed with reason
Able to reason out such questions as "what must you do when you are
sleepy, hungry, cool, or thirsty?
48 Months
Knows names of familiar animals
Can use at least four prepositions or can demonstrate his
understanding of their meaning when given commands
Names common objects in picture books or magazines
Knows one or more colors
Can repeat 4 digits when they are given slowly
Can usually repeat words of four syllables
Demonstrates understanding of over and under
Has most vowels and diphthongs and the consonants p, b, m, w, n
well established
Extensive verbalization as he carries out activities
Understands such concepts as longer, larger, when a contrast is
presented
Readily follows simple commands even thought the stimulus
objects are not in sight
Much repetition of words, phrases, syllables, and even sounds
60 Months
Can use many descriptive words spontaneously-both adjectives
and adverbs
Knows common opposites: big-little, hard-soft, heave-light, etc
Has number concepts of 4 or more
Can count to ten
Should be able to repeat sentences as long as nine words
Should be able to define common objects in terms of use (hat,
shoe, chair)
Should be able to follow three commands given without
interruptions
Should have simple time concepts: morning, afternoon, night, day,
later, after, while, tomorrow, yesterday, today
Should be using fairly long sentences and should use some
compound and some complex sentences
Speech on the whole should be grammatically correct
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
IN MIDDLE CHILDHOOD
 Language Development in Middle childhood
Vocabulary, Grammar, and Syntax
As vocabulary grows during the school years, children use
increasingly precise verbs to describe an action, i.e.
hitting, slapping
Pragmatics: Knowledge about Communication
Practical use of language to communicate including
conversational and narrative skills
 Language Development Theory

Social Cognitive Theory - Albert Bandura

Nativism/ Language Acquisition Device (LAD) - Noam
Chomsky
Cognitive Development - Vygotsky
 Social Cognitive Theory
Bandura
Emphasize that behavior, environment and cognition as
the key factors in language development
Language is learned and is influenced strongly by
environmental experiences through observational
learning/modelling
In the classroom, teachers model the type of work they
want their children to produce from this children learn
what to do and how to do it.
 Nativism/ Language Acquisition Device
According to Chomsky
Humans are biologically pre wired to learn language at a certain
time and in a certain way.
Human brain are pre-programmed every normal person are
able to talk and understand language.
All children are born with a language acquisition device (LAD), a
biological endowment that enables the child to detect certain
language categories, such as phonology, syntax and semantics
LAD depend on cells in the brain (cerebrum cortex)
Through LAD children can analyzed language that they hear and
able to construct a proper grammar.
Supporters of the LAD say that all children will learn some form of
language by a certain age despite how much language input they
have received.
 Role Of Language In Cognitive Development -
Vygotsky
Vygotsky believed language is important tool for child cognitive development.
Three forms of language, as outlined below. .
Social Speech external communication that people use to talk with other
people - typical in children from the age of two.
Private Speech internal communication that a person directs to
themselves. It serves an intellectual function, and it is typical in children
from the age of three.
Silent Inner Speech Vygotsky believed that this is what happens when
private speech diminishes in its audibility until it become a self-regulating
function. He believed this was typical in children from the age of seven.
According to Vygotskys - language and thought begin as separate systems
within a childs brain but later merge in the child at around the age of three,
and the two systems would become interdependent. As the two systems
become interdependent, a childs communication can be internalized to
become private speech to the self, and this internalization of language is an
important component to a childs cognitive development.
HOW TO PROMOTE LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENT AT HOME?
 Tips for Parents on Learning at Home
Source:Schrader,Margaret.CommunicationSkill Builders.1988.

Babies learn by listening to what adults say--parents with lower

incomes, educational and occupational levels tend to spend less
time talking with their children in positive ways
Talk to your child - even if your child does not seem to
understand at first. Talk often about what you are doing or what
you see around you.
Give you child time to respond.
Eye level Get down to your childs eye level and look at your
child as you are listening. Show your child that you are sincere.
Observe your childs attempts to communicate. Appreciate any
attempt to communicate as a step towards language
development.
Child-directed speech=speak slowly in a high-pitched voice with
exaggerated ups and downs, simple speech, exaggerate vowel
sounds, use short words and sentences
 Activities for Language Development
from Richman,LindaG. CommunicationSkill Builders. 1988

Walk and Talk

Talk while Walking - ask the child about whats going on (dogs
running, children playing baseball, construction, shopping, etc.)
As you talk the child will learn words for different experiences.

Play Follow the Leader

Ask child to follow what you do - model actions along with
language;
I am jumping!
I am clapping!
I am marching!
 Activities for Language Development
from Richman, Linda G. Communication Skill Builders. 1988

Food Talk
Encourage children to talk during eating and meal preparation
Have your child tell you whats needed for lunch. Model words
he/she doesnt know.
Have your child explain the steps for making a sandwich.
Have your child help you write a grocery list. Have him/her
name the things in the flyer.

Create Shared Experiences (Manolson, 1992)

Recognize the childs interests and try to add a new element.
Engage in a high interest activity ball, wind up toy, balloons,
bubbles.
Acknowledge subtle attempts to communicate.
Scripted play help your child anticipate what will happen next
and then wait for a response.
Daily Routines Language and Experience (Manolson, 1992)

Waking up When your child shows interest

Brushing teeth When something out of the ordinary
Getting dressed happens:
Picking up toys When things go wrong:
Taking a bath Why, What, How to make the
Getting ready for bed experience better.
Putting away groceries Imitate your child and add a
Raking leaves word:
Washing car Interpret Provide the adult
Making beds model of what your child meant
Getting into the car to say.
Expand on your childs utterance
Ways to Help Your Child Understand: (Manolson, 1992)
Use gestures
Show the object youre talking about
Name and label people and things
Talk in simple sentences
Vary your pitch and tone
Repeat
 Preparing For Literacy
Literacy=Learning to read and write
The Benefits of Reading Aloud
Opportunities for emotional intimacy and parent-child communication
Children who are read to oftenbetter language skills at ages 2, 4,
and 5 and better reading comprehension at age 7
Most children learn to read phonetically by sounding out words (a, e,
i, o, u).
Rabit it caret (Rabbit eat carrot)
Mami is preti (Mummy is pretty)
I luv u (I love you)

Most effective way to teach reading, is to develop strong phonetic

skills plus improving fluency and comprehension.
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