Child Language Acquisition: an Overview
Understanding Language Acquisition
- Language acquisition is the process by which humans acquire the ability to perceive, produce and use words to communicate.
- This is a stage-specific developmental process, starting from infancy to adolescence.
- A child's language acquisition begins with pre-verbal communication, progressing to the development and use of vocabulary, syntax and grammar.
Theories of Language Acquisition
- Behaviourist Theory: Proposed by B.F. Skinner, it states that children acquire language based on behaviourist reinforcement principles and imitation.
- Nativist Theory: Noam Chomsky proposed that children are born with an innate ability for language development, known as the Language Acquisition Device (LAD).
- Interactionist Theory: This theory, spearheaded by Lev Vygotsky, suggests that both biological and social factors contribute to language acquisition.
- Cognitive Theory: Jean Piaget argued for the understanding that intellectual development and cognitive abilities precede language acquisition, with the child needing an understanding of concepts before being able to verbalise them.
Phases of Language Acquisition
- Pre-linguistic stage: This is the earliest phase of language acquisition, usually between 0-6 months, where infants begin by cooing and babbling.
- Single word stage or holophrastic stage: Between 9-18 months, infants start to vocalise single words, with each word used to convey a complete thought.
- Two-word stage: As the name suggests, children start forming two-word sentences around 18-24 months, following a simple subject-verb structure.
- Telegraphic stage: Around 24-30 months, young children start using multi-word sentences, albeit with missing function words and inflections.
- Later multiword stage: By 30 months, children begin to use complex sentences, employing conjunctions and prepositions to string together multiple ideas.
Factors Influencing Language Acquisition
- Environment: A stimulating environment with good language models is crucial for a child's language development.
- Social Interaction: Children's interactions with their parents, caregivers, and peers significantly influence their language acquisition.
- Cognition: Cognitive abilities including memory, reasoning, and problem-solving are key factors in language development.
- Culture: Cultural practices and socioeconomic status can also have considerable impacts on a child's language acquisition.
Potential Problems with Language Acquisition
- Children with developmental or neurological disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder or Down's syndrome can have delayed or impaired language development.
- Similarly, children with hearing impairments can face unique challenges with spoken language acquisition. They often develop sign languages to communicate effectively.
- Environmental deprivation can also hinder a child's language development. For instance, children from low-income families often have less exposure to rich and diverse vocabulary and complex sentence structures.
- Bilingual children can exhibit differences in language acquisition compared to mono-lingual peers, with potential temporary delays in vocabulary development. However, they often catch up or surpass their peers as they grow older.
Assessing Child Language Acquisition
- Assessment can be conducted through direct observation, language samples, and standardised tests.
- Regular monitoring and assessment of a child's language development is critical to identify any potential language disorders or delays.