Functions of Speech and Infant Language

Halliday's Functions of Speech

• Regulatory: Language used to influence others' actions, like persuading or commanding.
• Interactional: Language for building social relationships and easing interaction.
• Personal: Language showcasing the speaker's preferences and identity, often expressed as "Here I am!".
• Representational: Language used to share information, either relaying or seeking it.
• Heuristic: Language for learning and exploring, often used by children, with questions, answers, and commentary during play.
• Imaginative: Language used to explore the imagination, like storytelling or creating imaginary worlds.

Dore's Infant Language Functions

• Labelling: Naming or identifying people, objects, or experiences.
• Repeating: Echoing language spoken by more advanced speakers.
• Answering: Directly responding to questions or statements.
• Requesting action: Demanding something, like food or drink.
• Calling: Shouting or speaking loudly to grab attention.
• Greeting: Saying "hi" or "hello".
• Protesting: Objecting to a request.
• Practicing: Repeating language independently, attempting to develop language skills.

Stages of Language Development

• One word/holophrastic: Single-word utterances, appearing around 12-18 months.
• Two word: Combination of two words for simple syntax (subject + verb, verb + object), starting around 18-24 months.
• Telegraphic: Three or more words joined in increasingly complex and accurate orders (subject + verb + object, subject + verb + complement, subject + verb + adverb), occurring between 24-36 months.
• Post-telegraphic: Increased awareness of grammatical rules and irregularities, beginning after 36 months.

Phonology Help Sheet

• Deletion: Omitting final consonants in words, like "do(g)" or "cu(p)".
• Substitution: Replacing one sound with another, example: "pip" for "ship".
• Addition: Adding an extra vowel sound to the end of words, creating a CVCV pattern, like "doggie".
• Assimilation: Changing one consonant or vowel for another, "gog" for "dog".
• Reduplication: Repeating a whole syllable, "dada" or "mama".
• Consonant cluster reductions: Reducing consonant clusters, "pider" for "spider".
• Deletion of unstressed syllables: Removing the opening syllable of polysyllabic words, "nana" for "banana".

Phonemes by Age

• 24 months: p, b, m, d, n, w, t.
• 30 months: k, g, h, ŋ.
• 36 months: f, s, j, l.
• 42 months: tʃ, dʒ, v, z, ʃ, r.
• 48+ months: ð, ʒ.

Theoretical Approaches

• Behaviorism: Language acquisition is learned through reinforcement and imitation.
• Nativism: Humans are born with an innate Language Acquisition Device (LAD).
• Cognitive: Language is learned through the development of cognitive skills, such as memory, attention, and problem-solving.
• Interactionist: Language develops through social interaction and the child's active role in their environment.
• Social Interactionist: Language is learned through interaction with others, with emphasis on the importance of social contexts.
• Information Processing: Language learning is based on the processing and storage of information in the brain.
• Functionalism: Focuses on the social and communicative functions of language.
• Constructivism: Language is constructed through personal experience and active learning.
• Dynamic Systems Theory: Acquisition is a complex, nonlinear process influenced by multiple factors.