This chapter aims to: 1) Define language and describe its five main rule systems. 2) Describe the key milestones of language development from infancy through adulthood. 3) Discuss the biological and environmental contributions to developing language skills, including an interactionist view that language is shaped by both nature and nurture. It also provides a list of key terms and researchers relevant to the topic of language development.

1. Chapter 9 Learning Goals
1. Define language and describe its rule systems.
• What is language?
• What are language’s five main rule systems?
2. Describe how language develops through the life span.
• What are some key milestones of language development during infancy?
• How do language skills change during early childhood?
• How does language develop in middle and late childhood?
• How does language develop in adolescence?
• How do language skills change during adulthood?
3. Discuss the biological and environmental contributions to language skills.
• What are the biological foundations of language?
• What are the environmental aspects of language?
• How does an interactionist view describe language?
Key Terms
Aphasia Metaphor
Broca’s area Morphology
Child-directed speech Phonology
Dialect Phonics approach
Expanding Pragmatics
Fast mapping Recasting
Infinite generativity Satire
Labeling Semantics
Language Syntax
Language acquisition device Telegraphic speech
Metalinguistic awareness Wernicke’s area
Whole language approach
Key People
Naomi Baron Jerome Bruner Janellen Huttenlocher
Jean Berko Noam Chomsky Patricia Kuhl
Roger Brown Betty Hart Todd Risley