Language

Development
 Language
- Language is used as a tool for effective communication. It is used for
comprehensively sending and sharing information from one person to another.
- It is an arbitrary system of articulated sound made by humans in carrying
out their affairs in society.

Language Acquisition

- Language Acquisition refers to the process wherein children learn their

native language.

Language Development
 Language development is a slow process that starts during early
childhood, allowing children to grasp the spoken word and communicate.
 Stages
of
Language
Development
 Stages of Language Development
INFANCY
The infant acquires language through paying attention to the
parents or any adults' faces and responds through burbling
during the first few months, and halfway through their first
year, they begin to babble.
 Stages of Language Development
INFANCY
 Caretaker Speech (Motherese)
- Distinct speech registers are often used by adults when talking to infants.
It is characterized by:
1.) Shortened sentences
2.) Simplified grammar
3.) Restricted vocabulary
4.) Stressed Intonation and High Pitch
5.) Repetitive words or phrases
Example of Caretaker Speech (Motherese)
“BABY TALK SUBSYSTEM” - a simplified vocabulary for terms
relating to foods, toys, animals and body.
E.g. Water= wawa; Tubig= mamam, Dog= Doggy, doggo or aw-aw,
Train= Choo choo.
 Stages of Language Development
TODDLERS
- A toddler begins to utter a few words.
 Stages of Language Development
TODDLER
 One-word Stage
- The stage in which children speak mainly single words.
It is characterized by:
1.) One word only but concrete in meaning.
2.) Referring and naming of objects and people in their immediate
environment.
3.) Simple Pronunciation.
E.g. If the child is asking for milk, instead of
saying “I want milk” they utter the word
“Milk” only.
 Stages of Language Development
PRE-SCHOOL YEARS
- Children begin to progress into two-word
combinations. They know at least 50 words.
 Stages of Language Development
PRESCHOOL YEARS
 Two-word Stage
- Words that came from the one-word stage without any
grammatical modifications.
E.g. “Mommy milk”, “That doggie”, “No pee”, “Papa
away”, “More milk”, “ No milk”
 Telegraphic Speech
- Children begin stringing more than two words together.
However, the style of speaking used in this stage resembles the
way of writing used in a telegram.
E.g. “This shoe wet”, “Mommy go bye-bye.”,
“Want more ice cream”
 Stages of Language Development
SCHOOL  YEARS
- Their vocabulary expands to almost 8000 words.
They can handle questions, negative statements,
dependent clauses, etc.

 Stages of Language Development

SCHOOL YEARS
Literacy
-Children are faced with another major
task of learning another linguistic system-
the written language.

E.g. Determining grammatical errors in

sentences and learning how to write.

 Stages of Language Development

TEEN YEARS
-Teens are able to acquire their own form of language
based on their environment including their peers.

E.g. Formal, Colloquial, Kikay, Gay Lingo, Conyo

ADULT YEARS
- The acquired language varies greatly among
individuals depending on their educational level,
achievement, and social and occupational roles.
E.g. Working professionals

Phonology
What is Phonology?
- The systematic
organization of sounds
into language.
- Rules determine how
sounds can be
sequenced.
5 Major Phonological
Skills
- Word Awareness.
- Understanding Rhyme and
Alliteration.
- Syllable Awareness.
- Rhyme Manipulation.
- Phoneme Awareness.

 Theories
of
Language
Development
 Constructivist Theory
by Jean Piaget

 - Language is not only due to genetic predisposition

or imitation.
 - Language is constructed by following cognitive
development.
 - People develop their language skills and construct
overall knowledge based on their own experience.
 - Children’s language reflects the development of
their logical thinking and reasoning skills in "periods" or
stages, with each period having a specific name and
age reference.
 Constructivist Theory
by Jean Piaget
 Sensory-Motor Period (from birth to 2 years)
- Piaget describes two functions of children's language: the "egocentric" and
the "socialized."
Pre-Operational Period (between the ages of 2 and 7 years)
- “Symbolic”
- Children’s language often shows instances of what Piaget termed “animism”
and “egocentrism.”
ANIMISM- refers to young children's tendency to consider everything, including
inanimate objects, to be alive.
EGOCENTRISM - they attribute phenomena with the same feelings and
intentions as their own.
The Operational Period (7 to 11 years) and (11 years to adulthood)
- Children’s language development at this stage reveals the movement of their
thinking from immature to mature and from illogical to logical.
- Children's language starts to become "socialized," showing characteristics
such as questions, answers, criticisms, and commands.

 DANIEL EVERETT’S THEORY:

LANGUAGE SCRATCHES THE
COMMUNICATIVE ITCH

-Stated that language may have been invented by

homo erectus.

-The Erectus needed language because they had to

communicate, their linguistic capabilities were just
enough to make them one of the most successful
species to ever walked the Earth.

 NATIVIST LINGUISTIC THEORY:

UNIVERSAL GRAMMAR (Noam
Chomsky)

-The nativist linguistic theory postulates that every

human being is born with innate language ability.

-Lnguage is a social tool that humans developed to

communicate and share knowledge to solve problems.
-Language Acquisition Device (LAD) - This brain device
allows the child to acquire linguistic abilities rapidly.

 BEHAVIORIST THEORY
(B.F. Skinner)

-Operant Conditioning- learning a language is much like

learning any new skill through observation, imitation,
repetition, errors, rewards, and punishments.

-Language development is a learned behavior.

-A language would develop as responses to stimuli from the

environment.

 SOCIAL INTERACTIONIST
THEORY (Lev Vygotsky)

 - Language has a social origin.

 - Language is not an innate ability but is developed

through communication.

 - Children acquired their first word through social

interaction.

WHAT IS THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF
LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENT?
HOW DOES IT AFFECT
LEARNING?

Language development is an important aspect of human

development. It supports children’s ability to have a full
grasp and understanding of how the world works. It
teaches us how to effectively communicate our thought
and express our feelings towards something or someone.
 Language is the foundation of our learning. Knowledge
begins through the acquisition of language. It enhances our
ability to analyze various thoughts and ideas. It enables us
to understand our own experiences and make use of it in
a sensible manner.