Language Development: Key Concepts

• These notes cover key concepts related to language development

Communication

• The sending and receiving of messages occurs through verbal, non-verbal, and written forms
• Communication involves encoding, transmission, decoding, and feedback

Speech

• The physical production of sounds uses the vocal apparatus to convey spoken words
• Speech involves articulation, voice, and fluency

Language

• A system of symbols is used for communication and governed by rules (grammar)
• Language possesses arbitrary, symbolic, rule-governed, and generative characteristics

Phonology

• The study of speech sounds in a language looks into individual phonemes and syllable structure

Morphology

• Focus is given to word structure; including free and bound morphemes (e.g., 'dog' and 's' in 'dogs')

Syntax

• Examined are rules for sentence structure, such as subject-verb-object word order

Semantics

• Explores the meaning of words and sentences in isolation and context

Pragmatics

• The use of language is studied in social contexts, covering conversational rules, turn-taking, and context-based understanding

Free Morpheme

• Can stand alone as a word (e.g., 'dog')

Bound Morpheme

• Must attach to a free morpheme (e.g., 's' in 'dogs')

Nativist Theory

• Language acquisition is innate, and humans are born with a language acquisition device (LAD)

Interactionist Theory

• Language development is shaped by social interactions and the environment

Behaviorism

• Language is learned through imitation, reinforcement, and repetition from the environment

Cognitive Theory

• Language development is related to cognitive development
• Children actively construct meaning from experiences

Social Constructivism

• Caregivers and peers play a key role in helping children learn concepts they can't master alone

Generative Grammar

• All humans possess innate knowledge of universal grammar principles enabling natural language acquisition

Universal Grammar

• All human languages share common structural properties

Language Acquisition Device (LAD)

• Proposed by Chomsky, it allows humans to naturally acquire language by recognizing and applying the universal rules of grammar

Child Directed Speech (CDS)

• Used by adults to talk to children.
• It features simplified syntax, exaggerated intonation, and slower speech

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

• Developed by Vygotsky
• It refers to the difference between what a child can do independently and with help from a more knowledgeable person

Evidence-Based Practices (EBP)

• Language interventions are informed by high-quality research, clinical expertise, and family/caregiver values

Cross-Linguistic Studies

• Language development is compared across different languages
• This is done to identify universal aspects of language acquisition and variations in language-learning strategies

Automatic Processing

• Routine behavior requires little conscious thought, allowing multitasking (e.g., walking, breathing)

Effortful Processing

• Cognitive processing requires attention and focus, often requiring practice (e.g., learning a new language)

Cognition

• The mental process is used to acquire of knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses

Phoneme

• The smallest unit of sound in language distinguishes meaning ( e.g., /p/ vs /b/ in 'pat' vs 'bat')

Morpheme

• The smallest unit of meaning (e.g., 'dog' or 'cats' where 'dog' is a free morpheme and 's' is a bound morpheme)

Prosody

• The rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech conveys meaning, emotion, and grammatical structure in spoken language

Metalinguistic Awareness

• The ability to reflect on and consciously think about language and its rules

Encoding

• Converting information into a form that can be stored in memory or transmitted

Decoding

• Interpreting or understanding a message

Contextualized

• Language used in context, with specific meaning dependent on the situation

Syllable

• A unit of speech typically includes a vowel sound and can be combined with consonants (e.g., 'cat' has one syllable)

Linguistic Competence

• A speaker's implicit knowledge of their language rules

Linguistic Performance

• The use of language in concrete situations

Cognitive Development Theory

• Proposed by Piaget, it focuses on how children construct knowledge and understanding through interactions with their environment
• Development occurs in stages like sensorimotor and preoperational phases

Critical Period Hypothesis

• There is a specific window of time for easiest language acquisition
• Language learning is significantly more difficult after this period

Social Learning Theory

• By Bandura
• Language development is influenced by observing and imitating others, as well as through reinforcement and modeling from caregivers and peers

Scaffolding

• Introduced by Bruner
• It refers to the support provided by caregivers or more knowledgeable individuals that helps children perform tasks they cannot yet accomplish independently

Syntax Bootstrapping

• Children use sentence structure to infer the meanings of unfamiliar words
• An example is the use of the subject-verb-object order to understand sentence meaning

Phonological Loop

• A component of working memory holds and manipulates verbal and auditory information
• It is essential for language processing and comprehension

Pragmatic Development

• Children learn the social rules and conventions of language use
• They develop understanding of context, taking turns in conversation, and using language for different purposes (e.g., requesting, informing)

Phonemic Awareness

• The ability to recognize and manipulate individual phonemes (speech sounds) in words
• It is a critical skill for early reading and writing development

Imitation Theory

• Children learn language by imitating the speech they hear
• Reinforcement is gained through social interaction

Semantic Network Theory

• Word meanings are stored in the brain in a network of interconnected concepts
• Closely related concepts are connected to each other

Mutual Exclusivity

• Children use the principle of each object having only one name to learn new words
• A new word must refer to an unfamiliar object

Speech Act Theory

• Language is used to perform various actions, such as making requests, giving commands, or making promises

Holophrastic Stage

• In early language development, children use a single word (e.g., 'milk') to express an entire thought or idea

Overextension

• Children apply a word too broadly
• Examples include calling all four-legged animals 'dogs' or all fruits 'apples'

Underextension

• Children apply a word too narrowly
• An example is calling only their pet dog 'dog' and not other dogs

Receptive Language

• The ability to understand spoken or written language
• Typically develops before expressive language

Expressive Language

• The ability to produce and use language
• Encompasses speaking, writing, and signing

Morphosyntax

• The combination of morphological and syntactic rules in language forms grammatically correct sentences

Phonological Awareness

• The understanding that spoken language can be broken down into smaller units, such as syllables, onsets, and phonemes

Cognitive Schema

• A mental framework or structure used to organize and interpret information, including linguistic information

Private Speech

• Spoken by children for themselves.
• It helps in self-regulation and problem-solving, as proposed by Vygotsky

Pre-linguistic Communication

• Communication occurs before the use of words
• It is comprised of gestures, facial expressions, and vocalizations like cooing and babbling

Phonological Memory

• The ability to hold and manipulate phonological information
• Important for language comprehension, especially in early learning stages

Iconic Symbol

• A symbol that physically resembles the object it represents
• An example includes a picture of a dog representing the animal

Mental Lexicon

• The mental dictionary of words and their meanings are used in language comprehension and production

Syntax Development

• Children learn the rules governing the structure of sentences
• This encompasses word order, subject-verb agreement, and use of auxiliary verbs

Mediated Learning

• Caregivers or teachers help children interpret and understand the world through guided interaction

Interventionist View

• External support (e.g., parents, teachers) facilitates language learning and cognitive development

Speech Perception

• The ability to hear, distinguish, and interpret speech sounds
• It plays a vital role in language acquisition

Cultural Tools

• Tools used within a specific culture for communication, learning, and problem-solving
• Examples include language, writing systems, and technology

Sociocultural Theory

• By Vygotsky, it emphasizes the role of social interaction and cultural context in shaping cognitive and language development

Chomsky

• Proposed Universal Grammar, suggesting an innate human ability to learn language through a Language Acquisition Device (LAD)

Piaget

• Known for his theory of cognitive development, which emphasizes the active role of children constructing meaning from interactions with their environments

Vygotsky

• A social constructivist theorist, he proposed that cognitive development is socially mediated, particularly through more knowledgeable individuals (e.g., Zone of Proximal Development)

Skinner

• He believed language is learned through imitation, reinforcement, and conditioning
• Children acquire language based on environmental stimuli

Bruner

• Developed the concept of the Language Acquisition Support System (LASS)
• Focus is given to how caregivers facilitate language development through social interaction

Explore the fundamental aspects of language development. Understand communication, speech, and language as systems. The notes cover phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics.