Notes for alevel english language child language acquisition, for all exam boards. Detailed notes for stages, terminology and theories. From A* student taught by classes and self.
Question key figures
P2 Q1
0-7 year olds development in comparison to the adult
Short transcript with IPA
Analysis, theory, data interpretation
A01 and A02
20 marks
Main theories
Behaviourist (skinner) – imitation and praise helps language
development
Innateness (Chomsky) -brain contains mechanisms to learn from
birth
Cognitive (Piaget) – language is one aspect of overall intellectual
development
Interaction (Bruner) – interaction between child and caregiver
Feral children
Based on Romulus and Remus – myth of abandoned children raised by wolves before being
integrated back into human society
Proving of nature vs nurture
Oxana Malaya
Left outside at 3 years old to be raised as a kenel dog for five years
Couldn’t speak with purpose after found
Now can talk in simple sentences
Nurture
Victor of Averyon
First documented case (1800s France)
Attempt at escaping captures after found roaming in the wild
Jean Atar studied him for scientific purposes after other researchers concluded he was too
stupid for humanity
Jean found Victor lacked both language and empathy which were required to be considered
human
Over time they learnt Victor improved most with care and although could form basic
understandings of sounds #, he made the most progress emotionally than linguistically
Nurture and nature
Genie
Isolated in one room by parents and found at the age of 13
Affect of abuse and isolation lead to stunt in physical and mental growth and still stuck in
diapers
, Genie proved the critical period theory, that there is a key point to learn language and past
that would fail
Left cortex wasn’t stimulated and became disconnected, eventually shrinking
Edik
Found in a deserted flat at 4 years old
As a result of abuse and neglect he turned to dogs for affection
Behaved as a dog
Took months to learn how to clothe and eat as a human but is now improving linguistically
Memory seems to improve when in relation to dogs
Nature and nurture
Jean Piaget’s 4 stages of cognitive IPA
development Phoneme – smallest unit of a sound in a word
1. Sensorimotor = 0-2 years 43/44 phonemes in the English language
2. Preoperational = 2-7years Phoneme segmentation – breaking down
3. Concrete operational = 7-11 years sounds to pronounce
4. Formal operational = 12+ years IPA was devised 19th century France for
language learning
Beginnings of development
Crying = verbal expression of needs
Cooing = increase control of vocal cords
Babbling = consonants, vowels, and syllables with no meaning
First words = word recognition with context in first year
Under-extension = semantic error when word is given narrower meaning than in adult
language
Over-extension = reverse of under yet more frequent
Jean Aitchison’s 3 stages
1. Labelling = links sounds of words to objects
2. Packaging = understanding a word’s range of meaning
3. Network Building = grasping connections between words
Lexical development Phonological development
18 months = 50 words 2 years = all vowels and 2/3
2 years = 200 words consonants
5 years = 2000 words 4 years = difficulty with consonants
7 years = 4000 words at the end of words
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