Module 1: Language
Acquisition
For
this topic we will explore how children acquire langauge.
You
will study:
- theories
about language acquisition: imitation, innateness,
cognition, input
- the
functions of children's language
- the
development of phonological and pragmatic competence
in
speech
- the
development of lexis and semantics
- one-word,
two-word and telegraphic stages
Theories
Some theorists
argue that children learn language passively; others
that children are actively involved in constructing
meaning. Then again, some theorists argue that the environment
is all important in language acquisition, while others argue
that children just pick language up naturally because humans
are predisposed to do so.
Here
is a brief outline of the main schools of thought and the
linguist(s) most associated with it: Imitation – Skinner:
Children learn to speak by copying the utterances heard
around them and by having their responses
strengthened by the repetitions, corrections and other reactions
that adults provide.
Innateness – Chomsky:
Children are born with an innate capacity for language
development. The human brain is ‘ready’ for
language, so much so that when children are exposed
to speech they pick it up naturally and begin to
work out
the underlying
rules for themselves. In this view, children have
a
Language Acquisition Device or LAD,
which enables them to make
sense of the utterances they hear.
Cognition – Piaget:
Language development is related to cognitive development,
that is, the development of the
child’s thinking determines when the child
can learn to speak and what the child can say.
For example, before
a child can say, “This car is bigger than
that one”,
s/he must have developed the ability to judge differences
in size. In Piaget’s view, children learn
to talk ‘naturally’ when
they are ‘ready’ without any deliberate
teaching by adults.
Functions – Halliday;
Language is acquired in a social context – that
is by interacting with other people. Children
first learn how to communicate by using gestures
such as arm-raising, head-shaking and pointing
or by making noises; these are used to achieve
functions such as controlling
the behaviour of others (e.g. head-shaking could
mean “Don’t
do that”) or satisfying a physical need
(e.g. pointing could mean “I want that.”)
Later the child begins to use what Halliday calls
protolanguage (the child’s
own words) and, finally, conventional words are
used. Gradually the constraints of speaking (e.g.
the need
to be clear
and to be expressive) force the child to make longer utterances
and mould the structure of the child’s
language. |
