Language Development: Videos & Practice Problems

Infants are born with the ability to distinguish all phonemes in human languages, but this skill declines around 12 months as they focus on their native language. Language development progresses rapidly, with comprehension skills outpacing production. Key milestones include cooing (0-4 months), babbling (4-10 months), first words (around 12 months), and telegraphic speech (18-24 months). Theories of language acquisition include behaviorism, nativism, and interactionism, highlighting the roles of reinforcement, innate grammar, and social interaction in learning language.

Distinguishing Speech Sounds

Infants possess a remarkable ability to distinguish between all phonemes, the distinct units of sound in human language, regardless of their native language. This innate skill, demonstrated in research by Janet Werker in the 1980s, indicates that newborns can hear and differentiate sounds from various languages. However, this ability begins to decline around 12 months of age as infants become more attuned to the phonemes of their native language, a process that aligns with their increased exposure to it.

Further research by Cullen and colleagues in 2006 explored this phenomenon by examining the phonetic contrast between the sounds "ra" and "la," which is present in English but absent in Japanese. The study involved 32 American infants and 32 Japanese infants using a method called conditioned head turn, where infants were trained to turn their heads in response to specific sounds. The results revealed that both groups of infants performed similarly at around 6 to 8 months, achieving approximately 65% accuracy in distinguishing the sounds, despite the Japanese infants having no prior exposure to this phonetic contrast.

As the infants approached 12 months, a notable divergence in performance emerged. American infants improved their accuracy to about 73%, demonstrating enhanced skills in recognizing the phonetic contrast in their native language. In contrast, Japanese infants showed a decline in their ability, scoring around 59%. This research beautifully illustrates the transition from a universal phonetic awareness at birth to a more specialized ability focused on the native language as infants grow, highlighting the dynamic nature of language acquisition during early development.

Which of the following correctly summarizes what we currently understand about infant’s phoneme discrimination abilities?

• A. Young children are born with the ability to hear all phonemes.
• B. Over the first year of life, children get better at discriminating phonemes in their native language.
• C. Around 10-12 months, infants begin to lose the ability to discriminate phonemes in non-native languages.
• D. All of the above are correct.

Answer: (D)

Language Milestones

Language development in children is a fascinating process characterized by rapid growth and distinct milestones. From birth to around five years of age, children exhibit remarkable advancements in their language skills, which can be observed across various stages.

Initially, from 0 to 4 months, infants begin to produce cooing sounds, which are primarily vowel sounds like "ahs," "ooze," and "ehs." This marks the first productive speech milestone. As they progress to 4 to 10 months, babbling emerges, where infants combine consonants and vowels, producing sounds such as "ba," "ma," and "da." At this stage, these utterances are not meaningful; rather, they serve as a way for babies to experiment with speech sounds.

By 10 to 18 months, children typically start to say their first words, which are often simple nouns or verbs that hold significance for them, such as the names of family members or favorite toys. This milestone is crucial, as it signifies the beginning of meaningful communication. Following this, between 18 to 24 months, children begin to use telegraphic speech, which consists of short phrases that convey essential meaning, like "throw ball." These phrases, while not complete sentences, adhere to basic grammatical structures.

As children reach 24 to 36 months, their sentences become longer and more complex, incorporating articles, pronouns, and adjectives. For instance, they might say, "give me the donut," demonstrating an understanding of sentence structure. A notable development occurs around 36 to 60 months, where children exhibit over-regularization. This phenomenon involves applying regular grammatical rules to irregular verbs, resulting in phrases like "I runned" or "the gooses." This error highlights children's grasp of grammar, as they are not merely imitating adults but actively applying learned rules.

By the age of 60 months, or around five years, children typically achieve grammar skills comparable to adults. While they may still mispronounce words or use shorter sentences, their syntax is largely developed. From this point onward, their vocabulary and sentence length continue to expand rapidly, reflecting their ongoing language acquisition journey.

Understanding these milestones provides valuable insight into the cognitive and linguistic development of children, emphasizing the importance of nurturing their communication skills during these formative years.

Language Development Example 1

Language development in children follows a series of milestones that mark their progress in communication skills. The journey begins at birth, where the first significant milestone is cooing, characterized by the production of vowel sounds such as "ah" and "ooh." This typically occurs in the first few months of life.

As infants master cooing, they transition into the babbling stage, where they start to combine consonants and vowels, producing sounds like "ba," "ma," and "da." This stage usually emerges around 4 to 6 months of age. Following babbling, children typically say their first words around 12 months, although this can range from 10 to 18 months. These initial words are often simple and context-specific.

Once children have a grasp of a few words, they begin to form short sentences, known as telegraphic speech, around the age of 2. This form of communication includes essential words while omitting less critical ones, resembling a telegram. As language skills develop, sentences become longer and more complex.

By age 4, children may exhibit over-regularization errors, where they incorrectly apply regular grammatical rules to irregular verbs and nouns, such as saying "goed" instead of "went." This phenomenon typically resolves by age 5, when children generally demonstrate adult-like grammar skills, showcasing their advanced understanding of language structure.

Overall, these milestones reflect the natural progression of language acquisition, highlighting the importance of early communication experiences in shaping a child's linguistic abilities.

Which of the following is an example of overregularization?

• A. Two mouses.
• B. Dogs.
• C. Water bottle red.
• D. Angry I’m.

Answer: (A)

Which developmental stage occurs in infancy and involves combining consonant and vowel sounds.

• A. Cooing.
• B. Babbling.
• C. Telegraphic speech.
• D. Phoneme detection.

Answer: (B)

Theories of Language Development

Language development is a complex process that has been explained through three main theories: behaviorist, nativist, and interactionist theories. Each theory offers unique insights into how children acquire language, highlighting the interplay between social interactions and innate biological factors.

The behaviorist theory, proposed by B.F. Skinner, posits that language is learned through operant conditioning. According to this view, children repeat phrases that they are positively reinforced for saying. For instance, when a child says "mama" or "dada," caregivers often respond with excitement, encouraging the child to repeat these words. However, this theory has limitations. It struggles to explain how children create novel sentences, learn language without reinforcement, and make grammatical errors like over-regularization (e.g., saying "I eat it yesterday"). Additionally, the rapid pace at which children acquire vocabulary and syntax cannot be solely attributed to reinforcement, as it would be impractical for adults to reinforce every new word a child learns.

In contrast, Noam Chomsky's nativist theory argues that humans are born with an innate universal grammar, suggesting that language acquisition is a biological predisposition. This theory introduces the concept of a sensitive period for language learning, indicating that if children do not acquire language before puberty, they may never achieve fluency. Evidence supporting this theory includes newborns' ability to discriminate phonemes and the observation that children learn language simply through exposure, without the need for specific reinforcement. However, critiques of nativist theory highlight its underestimation of social interactions and the difficulty in proving the existence of a universal grammar.

Jerome Bruner's interactionist theory synthesizes elements from both behaviorist and nativist perspectives. It posits that while humans have an innate capacity for language, social factors significantly influence language learning. One key aspect of this theory is infant-directed speech, a specific way adults communicate with young children that enhances their understanding of pronunciation, syntax, and word segmentation. A compelling example supporting interactionist theory is the development of Nicaraguan sign language in the 1980s, where deaf children created a language collaboratively, demonstrating both innate linguistic abilities and the importance of social interaction in language development.

Overall, modern psychologists recognize that language acquisition is influenced by both biological and social factors. While each theory has its strengths and weaknesses, the consensus is that language development is a multifaceted process that cannot be fully explained by any single theory. Understanding these theories provides valuable insights into the intricate nature of language learning and the factors that contribute to it.

Language Development Example 2

Understanding language acquisition through the lens of behaviorism emphasizes the role of environmental factors and reinforcement rather than innate biological predispositions. According to behaviorist theory, language development occurs primarily through operant conditioning, where positive reinforcement from caregivers plays a crucial role. This means that when children receive encouragement or rewards for using language correctly, they are more likely to repeat those phrases, reinforcing their language skills.

In contrast, the behaviorist perspective does not support the idea that children have an inherent predisposition to learn languages or that language development occurs independently of reinforcement. Therefore, the statement that aligns with the behaviorist understanding of language acquisition is that language development is the result of positive reinforcement from caregivers. This highlights the importance of social interaction and feedback in the learning process.

The idea of a sensitive period for language learning was first introduced as a part of which theory of language acquisition?

• A. Behaviorist theory.
• B. Nativist theory.
• C. Interactionalist theory.
• D. Operant theory.

Answer: (B)

Here’s what students ask on this topic:

What are the key milestones in language development for infants?

Key milestones in language development for infants include several stages. From 0-4 months, infants begin cooing, producing vowel sounds like 'ah' and 'oo.' Between 4-10 months, they start babbling, combining consonants and vowels, such as 'ba' and 'ma.' Around 10-18 months, infants typically say their first words, often simple nouns or verbs. By 18-24 months, they use telegraphic speech, forming short sentences like 'throw ball.' From 24-36 months, longer sentences emerge, incorporating articles, pronouns, and adjectives. By 36-60 months, children may over-regularize grammar rules, saying 'runned' instead of 'ran.' By 5 years, they usually have adult-like grammar skills.

How do infants distinguish between speech sounds in different languages?

Infants are born with the ability to distinguish between all phonemes in human languages. This ability is present even for phonemes not found in their native language. Research by Janet Worker in the 1980s showed that this skill begins to decline around 12 months as infants focus on the phonemes of their native language. A study by Cullen and colleagues in 2006 demonstrated that American and Japanese infants could distinguish the English phonetic contrast between 'ra' and 'la' at 6-8 months. However, by 12 months, American infants improved in distinguishing these sounds, while Japanese infants' ability declined, highlighting the influence of language exposure.

What are the main theories of language development?

The main theories of language development include behaviorist, nativist, and interactionist theories. Behaviorist theory, proposed by B.F. Skinner, suggests that language is learned through operant conditioning and reinforcement. Nativist theory, proposed by Noam Chomsky, argues that humans are born with an innate universal grammar and a sensitive period for language acquisition. Interactionist theory, proposed by Jerome Bruner, combines elements of both, suggesting that humans have an innate capacity for language, but social interactions also play a crucial role. Each theory has its strengths and limitations, and modern psychologists believe that language development involves both biological and social factors.

Why do children make grammatical errors like 'I runned' or 'I eated'?

Children make grammatical errors like 'I runned' or 'I eated' due to a phenomenon called over-regularization. This occurs when children apply regular grammatical rules to irregular verbs or nouns. For example, they might add '-ed' to form the past tense of 'run' or 'eat,' resulting in 'runned' or 'eated.' These errors indicate that children are not merely imitating adult speech but are actively learning and applying grammatical rules. Over-regularization typically appears around 36-60 months of age and provides evidence that children understand grammar and are trying to use it correctly, even if they over-apply the rules.

What is the role of social interaction in language development?

Social interaction plays a significant role in language development, as highlighted by the interactionist theory. This theory suggests that while humans have an innate capacity for language, social factors are crucial for language learning. For example, infant-directed speech, a melodic and clear form of speech used by adults, helps infants understand pronunciation, syntax, and word segmentation. Additionally, the development of Nicaraguan Sign Language in the 1980s demonstrated that social interaction among deaf children led to the creation and refinement of a new language. These examples show that social interactions facilitate the application and expansion of innate language abilities.