Language Development

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Apr 3, 2024

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Childhood Development of Language Analysis Jessica M. Leonard College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Grand Canyon University PSY 560: Learning, Cognition, and Motivation Dr. Houser December 20th, 2023 1

Childhood Development of Language Analysis Early language development is a determinant in adult employment, mental and emotional health, and the quality of interaction and relationships between self and others. The importance of speech and language acquisition in the early years cannot be overstated. In fact, children who have difficulty with language acquisition at the age of 5, are one-and-a-half times more likely to to be suffering with mental health issues at the age of 34. Additionally, the same children are twice as likely to be unemployed when. Compared to their peers with typical language development (Richardson et al., 2023). Successful language development is critical for cognitive development, emotional growth, and overall well-being of a child. For instance, language allows children to regulate their emotions by providing the means of self-expression and support seeking. Language also aids in the understanding of the emotions and points-of-view of others th us enhancing social connection and relationships. Language Development Theories Childhood language development is a gradual process beginning in infancy and progressing in a linear trajectory as the child grows. The development of language includes the acquisition of linguistic concepts like phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Phonemes, studied in phonology, are the basic sounds produced in each language. The English language includes about 40 phonemes including the sounds “ a ” “ k ”, and “ th ”. A morpheme is a basic unit of meaning in a language like re or ed. Morphology, therefore, refers to the formation of words. Syntax refers to the grammatical rules governing the structuring of words into sentences. Semantics examines the meaning of words and sentences. Pragmatics is the understanding of the social use of language (Farmer & Matlin, 2019). The main theories related to language acquisition focus on environmental factors, innate ability and the importance 2

of a critical period for which acquisition can best occur, and the connection between innate abilities and, social cues and modeling, and developmental cognitive function. Behaviorist Theory Proposed primarily by B. F Skinner, the behaviorist theory of language acquisition suggests that language is learned through reinforcement. Skinner was a behaviorist in that he believed language acquisition results from stimulus and response style conditioning. Skinner did not believe that language ability was innate in humans but rather it is learned through association with sounds and observation and imitation of adults who model the sounds and reinforce correct responses. Nativist Theory One of the most famous researchers in the field of linguistic, Noam Chomsky, believed that humans are born with an innate ability to acquire language and that language has a universal grammar that is learned across all languages (Waliaula, 2023). Chomsky believed that all people are born in possession of a language acquisition device (LAD). Chomsky has been criticized for dismissing the process of learning language and the incredibly complex cognitive processes that are involved in the acquisition of language. Interactionist Perspective Made famous by Vygotsky in the 1960’s, the interactionist perspective on language development includes a socio-cultural aspect of language acquisition. Interactionists argue that social, linguistic, biological, and cognitive elements work together in the development of language. This perspective also highlights the fact that social factors improve language acquisition and conversely, language acquisition improves social and cognitive and social development (Çakıroğlu, 2018). 3

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