First Steps / Stages in Child’s Language Acquisition

There are four main stages of first language acquisition in children. These are:

• The Babbling Stage

• The Holophrastic Stage
• The Two-word Stage
• The Multi-word Stage

The Babbling Stage

The babbling stage is the first significant stage of language acquisition in children, occurring
from around 4-6 months until about 12 months of age. During this stage, the child hears speech
syllables (sounds that make up spoken language) from its environment and caregivers and
attempts to imitate by repeating them. There are two types of babbling: canonical
babbling and variegated babbling.

• Canonical babbling is the type of babbling that emerges first. It consists of the same
syllables being repeated over and over e.g. a baby saying 'ga ga ga', 'ba ba ba', or a
similar string of repeated syllables.
• Variegated babbling is when different syllables are used in the babbling
sequence. Instead of using one syllable repeatedly, the child uses a variety e.g. 'ga ba da'
or 'ma da pa'. This occurs around two months after canonical babbling starts, at around
eight months of age. Children may also begin to use intonation that resembles actual
speech at this stage, while still only producing meaningless sounds.

The Holophrastic Stage (The One-Word Stage)

The holophrastic stage of language acquisition, also known as the ‘one-word stage’, typically
occurs around the age of 12 to 18 months. At this stage, children have identified which words
and combinations of syllables are the most effective for communicating and may attempt to
communicate a full sentence's worth of information. For example, a child may say 'dada' which
could mean anything from ‘I want dad’ to ‘where is dad?’. This is known as holophrasis.
A child's first word will often resemble a babble and, while they may hear and understand a
wide range of sounds, they can still only produce a limited range themselves. These words are
known as proto words. Despite sounding like babbles, they still work as words because the
child has assigned meaning to them. Children may also use real words and typically adapt them
to suit their speaking ability. Sometimes these words are used incorrectly as the child attempts
to learn and use them. For example, they may call every animal a 'cat' if they grew up with one.
The Two-word Stage

The two-word stage occurs at around 18 months of age. At this stage, children are able to use
two words in the right grammatical order. However, the words they use tend to exclusively be
content words (words that hold and convey meaning) and they often leave out function words
(words that hold a sentence together, such as articles, prepositions, etc.).
For example, a child might see a dog jump over the fence and simply say ‘dog jump’ instead of
‘A dog jumped over the fence.’ The order is correct and they say the most important word, but
the lack of function words, as well as a lack of tense use, makes the information very context-
dependent, much like in the holophrastic stage.
At this stage, the child’s vocabulary starts at around 50 words and consists mostly of common
nouns and verbs. These often come from things their caregivers have said or things in their
immediate environment. Typically, as the child progresses through the two-word stage, the
‘word spurt’ occurs, which is a relatively short period during which the child's vocabulary grows
much larger. Most children know 50 words by around 17 months of age, but by 24 months they
may know up to over 600.¹

The Multi-word Stage

The multi-word stage of language acquisition in children can be broken up into two distinct sub-
stages: the early multi-word stage and the later multi-word stage. Children move on from two-
word phrases and begin to form short sentences of around three, four, and five words, and
eventually even more. They also begin to use more and more function words and are able to
form more complex sentences. Children typically progress rapidly through this stage as they
understand many of the basics of their language already.

The early multi-word stage

The early part of this stage is sometimes called the ‘telegraphic stage’ as the children's
sentences seem to resemble telegram messages due to their simplicity. The telegraphic stage
takes place from around 24 to 30 months of age. Children mostly ignore function words in
favour of using the most important content words and usually start using negatives (no, not,
can't, etc.). They also tend to ask more questions about their surroundings.
For example, a child might say ‘no want veggies’ instead of ‘I don't want vegetables with my
food.’ While children at this substage still don't use function words in their own sentences,
many do understand when others use them.

The later multi-word stage

The later multi-word stage, also known as the complex stage, is the final part of language
acquisition. It starts at around 30 months of age and has no fixed endpoint. At this stage,
children start to use a variety of function words and there is a great increase in the amount of
words children can use. Their sentence structures also become a lot more complex and varied.

Children in this stage have a concrete sense of time, quantity, and the ability to engage in
simple reasoning. This means they can talk confidently in different tenses, and verbally explain
ideas such as putting ‘some’ or ‘all’ of their toys away. They can also start to explain why and
how they think or feel things, and may also ask others.
As children reach the age of five and above, their ability to use and understand language
becomes more or less fluent. Many children still struggle with pronunciations, but they are able
to understand when others use these sounds. Eventually, older children gain the ability to
confidently read, write, and explore a variety of new topics and ideas. Typically, school will also
help children to further develop their linguistic skills.

Issues in L/A
While most children acquire language with ease, there can be various issues and challenges
that can arise during the language acquisition process. In this essay, I will discuss some of the
issues in language acquisition of children.

Speech and Language Disorders: Children may experience speech and language disorders such
as stuttering, apraxia, and dysarthria, which can affect their ability to communicate effectively.
These disorders can be caused by a variety of factors such as genetic or neurological conditions,
hearing impairments, or trauma.

Language Delay: Some children may experience a delay in their language development, where
they are slower to reach language milestones such as babbling, producing their first words, and
forming sentences. Language delay can be caused by a range of factors such as hearing loss,
developmental delays, or environmental factors such as lack of exposure to language.

Bilingualism: Children who are exposed to more than one language from an early age may
experience some challenges in language acquisition. While bilingualism has many benefits, it
can also result in some confusion and delay in language development, particularly in the early
stages.

Environmental Factors: The language environment that children are exposed to can also impact
their language acquisition. Children who grow up in households where there is limited language
exposure, or where language is not emphasized, may experience language delays or difficulties.
Learning Difficulties: Children with learning difficulties such as dyslexia or ADHD may also
experience challenges in language acquisition. These difficulties can make it harder for them to
process and understand language, which can impact their overall language development.

Socioeconomic Status: Children from low-income families may also experience challenges in
language acquisition. These children may have less access to language-rich environments such
as books, educational materials, and language-based activities, which can impact their overall
language development.

In conclusion, while most children acquire language with ease, there can be various issues and
challenges that can arise during the language acquisition process. Speech and language
disorders, language delays, bilingualism, environmental factors, learning difficulties, and
socioeconomic status can all impact a child's language acquisition. Early identification and
intervention can help to address these issues and support a child's language development.

Methods of studying child’s Language

There are various methods of studying a child's language acquisition, each with its own
strengths and limitations.

1. Naturalistic Observation: This method involves observing a child in their natural

environment, such as their home or school, without any manipulation of the
environment or stimuli. Researchers can observe the child's language use, interactions
with others, and responses to different situations. This method provides a
comprehensive view of a child's language development, but it may be difficult to control
for extraneous variables in the environment.

2. Experimental Methods: This method involves creating controlled experiments to study

language acquisition in children. For example, a researcher may present a child with a
novel object and measure their language response. This method allows for precise
control of variables and can provide clear data, but it may not reflect natural language
use and can be limited by ethical considerations.

3. Longitudinal Studies: This method involves following a group of children over an

extended period of time, usually several years, to study their language development.
This method can provide insight into how language skills change over time and can
identify individual differences in language acquisition, but it is time-consuming and can
be costly to conduct.
 4. Cross-sectional Studies: This method involves comparing different groups of children at
one point in time to study language development. For example, researchers may
compare the language development of children from different socioeconomic
backgrounds or cultures. This method can identify differences between groups and can
be more efficient than longitudinal studies, but it cannot provide information on
individual development.

5. Parent and Caregiver Reports: This method involves gathering information about a
child's language use from their parents or caregivers. This method can provide insight
into the child's language development in their natural environment, but it may be
limited by biases in the reports or the parents' ability to accurately assess their child's
language development.

In conclusion, studying a child's language acquisition requires a variety of methods to provide a

comprehensive understanding of their development. Naturalistic observation, experimental
methods, longitudinal and cross-sectional studies, and parent and caregiver reports are all
valuable methods for studying a child’s language acquisition.