Language Acquisition Language Acquisition Essay Language Acquisition Essay Language Acquisition

1. Language Acquisition
CONTENT
Introduction В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В…......В…В…..В… 3
Main body
1. Language acquisition В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В….В….В….......В…4
2. The stages of language acquisition В…В…В…В…В…....В…......В….. 5
2.1. The prelinguistic stage В…В…В….В….........В…...........В…7
2.2. Babbling В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В…........В…...........В…В… 7
2.3. One–word utterances В…В…В…В…В…..В…....В…...........В…9
2.4. Two–word utterances В…В…В…В…В…..............В…..В….... 10
2.5. Telegraphic speech В…В…В…В…В…В…В…........В…...В…В…13
2.6. Language learning during the pre–school period В…..16
3. The critical period В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В…В….......В… 17
4. The summary of behaviours to expect of children with normally developing speech and language
В…В…19
5. The language acquisition cannot be sped up В…В…В…В….В…В…. 20...show more content...
He argued that the neonate arrives equipped with a LAD (Language Acquisition Device). This
contains a set of rules common to all languages and allows children to learn any language which
they are exposed to. Slobin (1985) suggested a similar innate device the LMC (Language–Making
Capacity). The interactionist perspective suggests that a combination of biological and cognitive
factors plus the linguistic environment are all necessary for the acquisition of language. (11, 17–28)
There are many distinctions between the processes of learning and acquisition. For instance, the
terms are generally used to separate first language acquisition from second language learning, and
implied within this distinction is the gap between children of 0–5 years learning their mother tongue,
and those beyond puberty who may begin at this stage to learn a second language, or more. The
process is a conscious one in learning whereas it is subconscious in acquisition and in language
acquisition the focus is on communication or reception of a message as opposed to syntax and
grammar as is the case in language learning. Moreover, the context is usually crucial and meaningful

2. in language acquisition, but need not be important to the same extent in language learning.
Motivation, too, is a factor that may broaden the gulf between learning and acquisition, but need not
be factor that may broaden the gulf between learning and acquisition, as for the latter the
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3. Language Acquisition Essay
What is language? Language is a set of arbitrary symbols that enables every individual in the
community to communicate and interact. These symbols contain acceptable meanings by the
society and culture. Possessing a language is essential in all human; every normal human speaks but
nonhuman does not. Acquisition, on the other hand, means learning or getting. Therefore, language
acquisition basically means the learning or the gaining of a language. Language acquisition is
normally viewed as a part of cognitive science. Many psychologists like Pavlov, Skinner, Jean
Piaget, Vygotsky and Chomsky had done researches on this particular field. Language acquisition is
an interesting subject to study and discuss on. Every normal child acquires his...show more content...
With the existence of Universal Grammar, adults need not spoon feed children with every single
word or sentence of the desired language. What children really need is exposure to the language and
they are able to process it and learn it on their own. Upon mentioning on Universal Grammar,
Chomsky concluded that every child is born with Language Acquisition Device. Language
Acquisition Device which is naturally equipped in human's brain contains the rules or laws which
are universal to all languages – the Universal Grammar. It is an area which cannot be pointed out
exactly in the brain but is believed to be present in the neurological networks every human has
developed. This device is believed to exist only in human's brain, not in nonhuman. Children only
need to be exposed or access to samples of their languages as a trigger to activate the device. Once
the activation has taken place, children will be able to find out the patterns of the language to be
learned. They will be able to combine their innate capability (the ability on language acquisition)
with the information they gain from the environment. Therefore, if language acquisition is
corresponding to brain development, there must be a period in life whereby human are able to
acquire a language most effectively as brain cells do not develop the whole life. In respond to that,
the critical period for language learning is biologically determined in which the period
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4. Language Acquisition Essay
How do children acquire language? What are the processes of language acquisition? How do infants
respond to speech? Language acquisition is the process of learning a native or a second language.
Although how children learn to speak is not perfectly understood, most explanations involve both the
observations that children copy what they hear and the inference that human beings have a natural
aptitude for understanding grammar. Children usually learn the sounds and vocabulary of their native
language through imitation, (which helps them learn to pronounce words correctly), and grammar is
seldom taught to them, but instead that they rapidly acquire the ability to speak grammatically.
Though, not all children learn by imitation alone. Children...show more content...
Siegler (1998) there are four main components to language acquisition. These components are
phonology, semantics (meaning), grammar (syntax), and communication (pragmatics). Phonology is
the study of how speech sounds are organized and how they function. It is the main linguistic
accomplishment during the first year of life. The phonology of language refers to fundamental
sounds units and the rules for combining them. Each language has a certain number of sounds
called phonemes. Phonemes are the smallest unit of sound that affects the meaning of a word.
Infants are able to identify hundreds of variations of sounds. For example, an infant who is 6
months old can detect the difference between "ma" and "pa". According to Siegler (1998), "most
children do not gain full phonological competence until roughly school age"(p. 147). An infant's
first year is mainly receiving messages but also working on being able to produce messages. As
they physically develop, infants form the ability to make sounds. Some of these initial sounds are
cooing, vowel–like utterances occasionally accompanied by consonants and babbling, which are
consonant–vowel combinations (Siegler, 1998). During the first 6 months of life, physiological
changes, such as the shape of oral cavity, tongue development, motor control of lips, and tooth
eruption, also take place that contribute to speech development. One of the infant's tasks is to
identify phonemes or the
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5. Language Acquisition
Refer the theories of language acquisition (Behaviorist theories, nativist theories and interactionist
theories) and write an evaluation of them.Consider the stages of language acquisition in the
evaluation of these theories.
Human language development is a huge debate between Nature Vs Nurture within theorists of
various fields in psychology.There are three major schools of thought that will be mainly focused on;
behaviourist, nativist (rationalist) and interactionist(cognitive and social). The cognitive approach
and social context of language development is known as interactionist approach as the language
depends upon the child having interaction with its physical and social world.
The...show more content...
In behaviorist theory it is believed that infants do learn the language through imitation, rewards and
practice through other role models. (Cooter & Reutzel, 2004)
Nativist theory/ Rationalist Approach: Rationalism is the opposing view of behaviorism. Just like
birds do fly and fishes swim, the capability to learn and use language is also genetically innate.
Chomsky is one of the leading rationalist linguist.
Noam Chomsky's theory of language acquisition. (1957; 1965) He suggests that language
acquisition is an innate faculty. Chomsky's approach incorporates that children use an inherited
hypothetical blueprint known as Language acquisition Device (LAD) (1968). Chomsky believes
that people are born with a set of rules about language, which is called "Universal Grammar". When
a child begins to listen to his parents speaking, H/ she will unconsciously recognize which kind of
language the child is dealing with, and setting the grammar to the correct language is known as
"Setting the Parameters" Chomsky's theory attempts to explain the competence acquired in
language. Evidence shows the existence of LAD, which comes from the speed of language learned.
Without LAD it will not be as easy to acquire a language, although it
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