Language learning in early childhood - Summary
Nermina Abdulahović 10.03.2013
Language learning in early childhood
SUMMARY
When we assume that language is nothing more than a means of communicating, then it can be said that language acquisition is nothing more or less than learning how to communicate. Although how children learn to speak is not perfectly understood, most explanations involve both the observation that children copy what they hear. Children usually learn the sounds and vocabulary of their native language through imitation. In this chapter it is briefly seen characteristics of the language of young children. Several theories have been offered as explanation s for how language is learned.
The first three years: Milestones and developmental sequences
The earliest vocalizations are simply the crying that babies do when they need something, for example when they are hungry or just need parent’s attention.
Infants are able to hear sounds, and to difference some of the sounds, but not before 3-5 months they begin to have own vocalizations for example babbling. At 11-12 months most babies will have begun to produce a word or two that everyone recognizes: mama – dada.
At 18 months old, Language takes off. They can produce two-word utterances (Dolly go bed, Eating cookies).Sometimes called telegraphic words because they don’t have articles, prepositions or auxiliary verbs. But still we can recognize as sentence. In their first three years, there are predictable patterns in the emergence and the development of many features of the language they are learning. For some language features, these patterns have been described in terms of developmental sequences or stages. For example, children can distinguish between singular and plural long before they reliably add plural ending to nouns, Can distinguish own language from a
Language learning in early childhood
SUMMARY
When we assume that language is nothing more than a means of communicating, then it can be said that language acquisition is nothing more or less than learning how to communicate. Although how children learn to speak is not perfectly understood, most explanations involve both the observation that children copy what they hear. Children usually learn the sounds and vocabulary of their native language through imitation. In this chapter it is briefly seen characteristics of the language of young children. Several theories have been offered as explanation s for how language is learned.
The first three years: Milestones and developmental sequences
The earliest vocalizations are simply the crying that babies do when they need something, for example when they are hungry or just need parent’s attention.
Infants are able to hear sounds, and to difference some of the sounds, but not before 3-5 months they begin to have own vocalizations for example babbling. At 11-12 months most babies will have begun to produce a word or two that everyone recognizes: mama – dada.
At 18 months old, Language takes off. They can produce two-word utterances (Dolly go bed, Eating cookies).Sometimes called telegraphic words because they don’t have articles, prepositions or auxiliary verbs. But still we can recognize as sentence. In their first three years, there are predictable patterns in the emergence and the development of many features of the language they are learning. For some language features, these patterns have been described in terms of developmental sequences or stages. For example, children can distinguish between singular and plural long before they reliably add plural ending to nouns, Can distinguish own language from a