Speaking: Children's Language Acquisition

• What does "nature" refer to in the context of behavior development?

  Biological, inherent, and innate factors
• What does "nurture" refer to in the context of behavior development?

  Environmental factors such as upbringing and hobbies
• Who was B. F. Skinner?

  An American psychologist and key proponent of behaviorism
• What is the main premise of Skinner's behaviorist theory?

  All behavior is a result of conditioning rather than freedom of choice
• What is operant conditioning according to Skinner?


  A spontaneous behavior whose consequences affect future behavior
• How does positive reinforcement work in language learning according to Skinner?

  It encourages the child to repeat grammatically accurate sentences through praise
• What is the effect of negative reinforcement on a child's language use?

  It makes them less likely to use grammatically incorrect sentences
• Who is Noam Chomsky?

  A linguist who proposed the theory of nativism
• What is the main argument of Chomsky's nativism?

  The human brain is not a blank slate at birth and has a Language Acquisition Device
• What is universal grammar according to Chomsky?


  A concept that describes how children globally learn languages at similar rates and ways
• How do virtuous errors support Chomsky's theory?

  They show that children apply familiar language rules even if incorrect
• What did Jean Piaget focus on in his theory?

  Cognitive development and children's understanding of the world
• What is the relationship between conceptual understanding and language use according to Piaget?

  Conceptual understanding must be present before language can reflect these ideas
• Why can't a child use comparative adjectives according to Piaget?

  Because they must first understand the concepts of size and scale
• What is object permanence and why is it important?

  It is the understanding that objects exist even when not seen, crucial for language development
• Who was Lev Vygotsky?

  A psychologist known for his ideas on scaffolding and the zone of proximal development
• What is the role of the caregiver in Vygotsky's theory?

  The caregiver acts as a more knowledgeable other to support the child's learning
• What is scaffolding in the context of language development?

  Support provided by caregivers to model speech and aid language development
• What is the zone of proximal development according to Vygotsky?

  The area just beyond what a child is already able to do, where learning occurs with support
• What does 'acquisition' refer to in language development?

  Initially possessing language, e.g., from parents
• What does 'development' refer to in language acquisition?

  Stages that children go through to make language their own
• What are the stages of language acquisition?

  1. Pre-verbal
  2. Holophrastic
  3. Two word
  4. Telegraphic
  5. Post-telegraphic
• What age range does the pre-verbal stage cover?

  0-12 months old
• What are the three sub-sections of the pre-verbal stage?

  Crying, cooing, babbling
• What is the purpose of crying in infants?

  To get someone’s attention to signal a need
• At what age does cooing typically start?

  About 2 months old
• What does babbling resemble in terms of language?

  Vowel and consonant sounds in spoken language
• What is the difference between reduplicated and variegated babbling?

  Reduplicated babbling repeats the same sound, while variegated babbling uses varied sounds
• What age range does the holophrastic stage cover?

  12-18 months
• What characterizes the holophrastic stage?

  One word utterances
• What do children often label during the holophrastic stage?

  Things in their environment
• What is a common first word for many children during the holophrastic stage?

  'Mummy' or 'Daddy'
• How do children communicate during the holophrastic stage?

  They rely heavily on non-verbal communication
• At what age do children typically enter the two-word stage?

  Around 18 months old
• What do children begin to do during the two-word stage?

  Put two words together to convey meaning
• What cognitive change occurs around 18 months during the two-word stage?

  Children realize everything has a name
• What is a 'vocabulary spurt'?

  A period of rapid language acquisition
• At what age does the telegraphic stage typically begin?

  Around 2 years old
• How does speech change during the telegraphic stage?

  Children start to use longer, more complete utterances
• What are content words?

  Words that convey the main meaning of a phrase