Linguistic Theories and Issues in the Study of Child Language PDF

Linguistic Theories and Issues in the Study of Child Language Dr. Mohd Azmarul A Aziz Lecturer & Speech-Language Therapist Universiti Sains Malaysia Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 1 ...

Linguistic Theories and Issues in the Study of Child Language Dr. Mohd Azmarul A Aziz Lecturer & Speech-Language Therapist Universiti Sains Malaysia Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 1  Objectives 1. Understand the Theories in Language Acquisition Describe the relationship of Generative or Nativist theories and Constructionist theories 2. Understand the Issues in the Study of Child Language define the Child-directed Speech (CDS) define the Emergentism describe the effect of the data collection method on the resultant date describe the effect of sample size and variability on resultant data discuss the issues of naturalness and representativeness describe the data collection and analysis procedure Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 2  Introduction Language development/acquisition - refers to the process through which individuals acquire and learn language skills throughout their lives. It encompasses the progression from early babbling in infancy to the sophisticated use of language in adulthood. Process involves various aspects, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 3  History For thousands of years, individuals with a curious mindset have been captivated by the exploration of language and its development. Ancient Interest in Language: Psammetichus I, an Egyptian pharaoh in the 7th century BCE, conducted a child language study. Two children raised with sheep, heard no human speech, did not speak Egyptian or any human language. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 4  History Historical Narratives: Figures like Saint Augustine and Charles Darwin published narratives on language development. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 5  Why Study Language Development? Modern Researchers: Several modern researchers have dedicated their careers to studying language development. Reasons for Studying Language Development: Human Development: Scholars study language development as part of understanding overall human development. Early Childhood Education: Understanding language development helps in facilitating child behavior change in early childhood education. Special Educators and Speech-Language Pathologists: Study child language for insights into normal and abnormal processes. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 6  Why Study Language Development? Interest in Language Development: Language development is interesting and helps us understand our own behavior. Language has a slightly mystical quality; mature users can't fully explain the rules learned as children. Language and Thought: Language development parallels cognitive development. Studying language development may help understand underlying mental processes. Complexity and Professional Disagreements: Due to the complexity of language and development, professionals often disagree on the best approach. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 7  Who Study Language Development Given the complexity of language and its development, professionals frequently disagree on the most effective approach for offering the best description. Linguist: What They Do: Describes language symbols and explains the rules for forming language structures. Psycholinguist: What They Study: Interested in the psychological processes behind language. Focus: Concerned with the mental mechanisms enabling language users to produce and understand language. Sociolinguist: What They Study: Examines language rules and use based on roles, socioeconomic levels, and cultural contexts. Key Areas: Looks at dialectal differences and social-communicative interaction. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 8  Who Study Language Development Behavioral Psychologist: Emphasis: Minimizes language form, concentrates on the behavioral context of language. Focus Areas: Studies how specific responses are triggered and how the frequency of these responses changes. Speech-Language Pathologist: Main Focus: Concentrates on disordered communication. Tasks: Examines causes of communication disorders, evaluates their extent, and works on the remediation process. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 9  Linguistic Theory: Nature vs Nurture Debate It is a natural and inherent part of being human, or It occurs because of nurturance and learning from the environment. Nature Emphasizes the innate, biological factors in language development. Suggests that genetic and neurological influences play a crucial role. Proposes that some linguistic abilities are hardwired and unfold naturally as a result of genetic predispositions. Nurture Focuses on environmental influences and experiences shaping language. Highlights the impact of interactions, cultural surroundings, and social exposure. Suggests that language is learned through imitation, reinforcement, and socialization. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 10  Generative Approach Nativist Approach Assumption: Children can acquire language because they are born with innate rules or principles related to language structures. (Chomsky, 1965a, 1965b; de Villiers, 2001; Lenneberg, 1967; Wexler, 1998, 2003; Yang, 2002). Learning from Environment: Generativists believe it's impossible for children to learn language from their surroundings. Reason  Input from the environment is limited, full of errors, and incomplete. Linguistic Knowledge Acquisition: Speedy Learning  Despite limited and imperfect input, children quickly acquire linguistic knowledge. Guidance  Innate linguistic hypotheses guide their learning process. Innate Guidance: Something Inborn  Innate or inborn factors guide a child's learning of language. Chomsky's View  Learning a human language is an extraordinary achievement for a creature not specifically designed for this task (Chomsky, 1975, p. 4). Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 11  Generative Approach (cont.) Late 1950s linguistic exploration  Noam Chomsky and others. Identify universal syntactic rules applicable to all human languages. Assumption  language is a universal human trait. Language Acquisition Device (LAD) Location  theoretically located in the brain. Function  assumed to contain innate syntactic rules present in every human from birth. They attempted to explain how adult speakers can generate diverse syntactic structures by utilizing this device, the LAD. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 12  Generative Approach (cont.) Therefore, their belief is that every child is born with the Language Acquisition Device (LAD) in their brain, as an innate feature. They suggest that children employ the universal language within their LAD to recognize the rules of the language to which they are exposed. 1973 Evaluation by Roger Brown: Conclusion  none of the models were entirely satisfactory in explaining children's language development. Issue  early Generativist theories were adult-based, and there was no evidence that children needed adultlike linguistic categories and rules. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 13  Generative Approach (cont.) Challenges with formal grammar: Finding  No single formal grammar adequate for explaining language acquisition across all cultures. Source  observations across different languages (Slobin, 1973). Several theorists suggested that, instead of syntax, a semantic-cognitive basis existed for children’s early language (Bloom, 1973; Brown, 1973; Schlesinger, 1971; Slobin, 1970). Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 14  Generative Approach (cont.) Semantic Revolution (1970s): Position  proposed a semantic-cognitive basis for children's early language. Correspondence  semantic-syntactic relations in children's language aligned with infant and toddler sensorimotor cognition. Semantic-Based Rules (1970s): Examples: Children used meaning units like agents, actions, and objects instead of subjects and verbs.  children used meaning units, such as agents, which caused action (mommy, daddy); actions (eat, throw); and objects, which received it (cookie, ball). Formation  nonlinguistic units might form the basis for linguistic structures like agent-action-object.  Mommy eat cookie; Daddy throw ball. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 15  Generative Approach (cont.) Challenges with Semantic-Based Rules (1970s): Limitations  explained some child utterances but failed to explain others. Transition Issue  difficulty explaining how children moved from semantic-based rules to abstract syntactic rules of adults. Return to Adult Syntactic Models (1980s): Theorists including Baker & McCarthy, Hornstein & Lightfoot, Pinker. Argument  discontinuity between semantic and syntactic models posed explanatory problems. Proposed  return to continuity assumption; children operate with the same basic linguistic categories and rules as adults (Pinker, 1984). Linguistic Nativism (1980): Believed all human beings possess the same basic linguistic competence throughout their lives. Form  universal grammar, proposed by Chomsky in 1980. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 16  Generative Approach (cont.) Generative grammar assumes that natural languages are like formal languages, such as mathematics. As such, natural languages are characterized by two things: i. A unified set of abstract algebraic rules that are meaningless themselves and insensitive to the meanings of the elements (words) they combine. ii. A set of meaningful linguistic elements (words) that serve as variables in the rules (Tomasello, 2006). Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 17  Generative Approach (cont.) Generative grammar assumes that natural languages are like formal languages, such as mathematics. As such, natural languages are characterized by two things: i. A unified set of abstract algebraic rules that are meaningless themselves and insensitive to the meanings of the elements (words) they combine. ii. A set of meaningful linguistic elements (words) that serve as variables in the rules (Tomasello, 2006). Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 18  Generative Approach (cont.) To learn a language, each child begins with his or her innate universal grammar to abstract the structure of that language. Acquisition has two components: 1. Acquiring all the words, idioms, and constructions of that language. 2. Linking the core structures of the particular language being learned to the universal grammar. Language acquisition and use demonstrate a seamless continuity. The underlying assumption is that when a child utters, "I'm eating a cookie," it indicates an adultlike comprehension of the present progressive (be + verbing) form, allowing the child to create similar expressions. The possession of these rules empowers the child to generate new and unique sentences. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 19  Generative Approach (cont.) Theoretical weakness in Generative Grammar: Fixed and semi-fixed structures not rooted in abstract grammatical categories but specific words or expressions pose a challenge, i.e. "How’s it going?“ Human Linguistic Competence: Involved a significant portion relies on mastering routine expressions and idioms. Challenge for Second Language Learners: Difficulty: Learners of English as a second language struggle with nonliteral meanings in expressions like "He’s starting to get to me" and "Hang in there." Reason: These expressions are not part of a core grammar generating grammatical rules but are memorized like words. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 20  Interactionalist Approach Interactionist Perspective Recognizes the interplay between nature and nurture. Views language development as a dynamic process influenced by both genetic predispositions and environmental factors. Acknowledges that a combination of biological and environmental elements contributes to language acquisition. Children learn linguistic knowledge from the environmental input to which they are exposed. (Christiansen & Charter, 1999; Goldberg, 2006; MacWhinney, 2004; Reali & Christiansen, 2005; Tomasello, 2005) Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 21  Interactionalist Approach (cont.) Interactionalist View Child's Role  child is seen as a contributing member in the learning process. Dynamic Relationship  child and language environment share a dynamic relationship. Cueing Mechanism  child cues parents for appropriate language needed in language acquisition. Child-Directed Speech (CDS)  adapted way of parents speaking to a child, varying from adult speech. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 22  Interactionalist Approach (cont.) Background B. F. Skinner's Theory (1957) wrote "Verbal Behavior“ assumed learning language is akin to learning any behavior. Language learning process: Parents model language for children. Young children imitate these language models. Parents reinforce children for their language imitations. The Nativist Chomsky countered Skinner’s theory that: Parents provide poor models when talking to each other. Children could not possibly learn all possible constructions by imitation. Parents do not reinforce the grammatically correct constructions of young children. Chomsky suggests that children learn language rules by deciphering them from the utterances they hear. To achieve this, children depend on innate structures found in the LAD. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 23  Interactionalist Approach (cont.) Two aspects in this approach: 1. Constructionist 2. Emergentism Constructionism Language structures come from using and understanding language actively. It's like building with Lego pieces based on experiences. Emergentism Language structures emerge from the brain's natural patterns and the environment, like pieces falling into place without a predetermined plan. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 24  Interactionalist Approach (cont.) Constructionism Belief on the idea that language structures emerge as individuals actively use and construct meaning. A usage-based approach that sees language as composed of constructions or symbol units that combine the form and meaning of language through the use of morphemes, words, idioms, and sentence frames. It involves an interactive process where learners dynamically engage with their linguistic environment, emphasizing the importance of real language usage. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 25  Interactionalist Approach (cont.) The usage-based approach proposes that young children exhibit inconsistency in using grammatical structures because they have yet to develop adultlike abstract representations. For example, a child might say, "Mommy's eating," but only with certain words in the "eating" part. The child is like a pattern finder, copying specific ways they heard others speak. Also, the child might not say "It" or "She" instead of "Mommy" because they haven't learned that pronouns can be used there. In simple terms, the child hasn't learned abstract grammar like using pronouns in place of nouns. As they grow, they learn to "fill in the blank" using fixed phrases, like "Mommy's eating," and gradually start using different words in those slots, like "Mommy's playing." Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 26  Interactionalist Approach (cont.) Because it's assumed that there is no universal grammar, usage-based theories don't need to explain how such a grammar connects to language learning. Instead, children learn their language by understanding the regular and rule- based constructions within that language. Like all learning, they build abstract categories and schemes based on the concrete things they've learned. Children develop these abstractions gradually and in fragments through two general cognitive processes: 1. Intention-reading, where they try to understand the meaning behind an utterance. 2. Pattern-finding, where they create more abstract dimensions (Tomasello, 2006). Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 27  Interactionalist Approach (cont.) Emergentism Perspective Language Structure Origin: Arises from existing interacting patterns in the human brain. Innate Component: Something innate in the human brain facilitates language, but not necessarily evolved exclusively for language. Pattern Recognition: Brains naturally seek patterns in incoming information, and children find patterns in language input. Language Emergence: Language emerges from the interaction of general cognitive mechanisms and the environment. Learning Mechanisms in Emergentism Sufficiency: Learning mechanisms in cognition outside of language are sufficient for the emergence of complex language (MacWhinney, 2002; Sabbagh & Gelman, 2000). Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 28  Interactionalist Approach (cont.) Theoretical weakness in Interactionalist Approach Appeal to Language Educators: Some appeal for professionals teaching language to children with language impairment. Insufficient Explanation: Doesn't fully explain language development. Concern: If typical language learning is based on individual input, it doesn't account for the similarities in language learning and use across children. Comparison with Nativist Notion: Nativist notion of underlying language rules is suggested to more easily account for the observed similarity in language development. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 29  Conclusion Owens, R.E. (2016). Language Development: An Introduction (9th Ed.). Pearson Education Limited: Harlow, England. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 30  Conclusion https://helpfulprofessor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/nature-vs-nurture-examples-and-definition.jpg Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 31  Language Research and Analysis This course will discuss child language development based on information gathered from studies of child language. These data are difficult to collect and often require extraordinary procedures in order to ensure valid, reliable, and objective reporting. The basic goals of child language research are threefold: 1. Discover and confirm general linguistic principles and patterns of language development. 2. Clarify the relationship of language development to changes in other areas, such as cognition. 3. Provide a theoretical description of language development that helps explain the process. The purpose of a child language study and the researcher’s theoretical predisposition will influence the type of data-collection procedure used. Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 32 Language Development USM 2024: Mohd Azmarul A Aziz 33