How Does A Child Acquire Language - 1871 Words

So how does a child acquire language? If it were just a question of listening and imitating people around them they wouldn t come out with words like ‘runned’ and ‘knowed’. Studies of language acquisition have shown that children take an active part in the process, constructing and refining grammatical rules for themselves as they mature. No one teaches them these rules; in fact, the majority of parents/carers are not aware of the rules themselves and would be hard pressed to explain them. Yet as the child grows they learn to use pronouns, verbs, adjectives and to form complex sentences in order to communicate with others and manipulate the world around them. Reinforcement has been suggested as playing a part in the process, although studies have shown this plays little part in the actual development of the child’s knowledge of the grammatical structure of their language. Parents/carers generally react positively to any attempts at spoken communication by their child, encouraging them to persist, but not correcting them for ‘bad grammar’. In fact, ‘mistakes’ are sometimes viewed as ‘cute’ by parents/carers and the child actively encouraged to repeat them for others! Another theory that has been proposed is learning by analogy – hearing a sentence, internalising the structural rules and using this as a basis to form new sentences. But languages don t work like that. What works for one sentence doesn t necessarily work for another, and the kinds of mistakes this couldShow MoreRelatedDifferent Stages Of Language Acquisition Essay1384 Words   |  6 Pagesis no agreed definition of language among linguists, but we can say that language is the most sophisticated way of communication between any two human beings and far more complex than any other system of communication. The ability of acquiring and using languages is one of the properties that differs us as human beings from other species. Acquiring the first language is much easier than acquiring any second language as it comes â€Å"naturally† after birth. The child passes through different stagesRead MoreCharacteristics Of A First And Second Language : Behaviorism, Innatism And Social Interactionist Essay1641 Words   |  7 Pagesof approaches have been proposed to explain the phenomenon of language acquisition. These models were influenced by variety of disciplines and research directions, such as cognitive psychology, linguistics, etc.; therefore, the models relate to linguistic development in various ways. One of the most striking differences between the approaches is the perception of the place of heredity and environment in the process of acquiring language, but as we shall see each approach gives them a different weightRead MoreThe Acquisition of Spoken Language in Deaf Children1839 Words   |  7 Pagesability to use language to communicate with the world around us. The capability to produce nov el and complex sentences is a skill that every child learns if the conditions allow him or her to do so. What is most amazing about this is that children gain this capability in such a short amount of time. Within 5 years of life humans use the linguistic input of the world around them to produce novel ideas and thoughts. Regardless of where or how one lives, the process of acquiring language is often predictableRead MoreHow Do Humans Acquire Language?1332 Words   |  6 PagesHow Do Humans Acquire Language? Humans live in a world full of communication. Humans possess a native language that separates them from other animals. Language is developed within the first few years of a person s life. By the time one is a child; he can speak and understand almost as well as an adult. Children world-wide exhibit similar patterns of language acquisition even though they may be learning different languages. How humans learn even the most complicated languages has perplexedRead MoreEssay about How Do Humans Acquire Language?1294 Words   |  6 Pages How Do Humans Acquire Language? nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Humans live in a world full of communication. Humans possess a native language that separates them from other animals. Language is developed within the first few years of a person’s life. By the time one is a child; he can speak and understand almost as well as an adult. Children world-wide exhibit similar patterns of language acquisition even though they may be learning different languages. How humans learn even the most complicatedRead MoreLearning The Native Language Essay884 Words   |  4 PagesLearning The Native Language Most of the child language acquisition theories all have the same general idea, that language is acquired through repetition and imitation. The behaviourist approach states ‘that children learn to speak by imitating the language structures they hear’. Covering both aspects of the statement at the beginning which is ‘hearing English and trying to speak it yourself are the only tools’. The interactive approach states ‘recent studiesRead MoreFactors that Promote Rapid Language Learning in Children?1406 Words   |  6 Pages(1972), language acquisition is one of the exclusive characteristics of human beings and is known as the jewel in the crown of cognition (Pinker, 1994). It is well known that other species on earth have communication system also, but differ substantially in their qualities from human communication. Several attempts have been made to teach apes to speak (Allen Gardner, 1969; Savage-Rumbaugh, Sevcik, Hopkins, 1988), but language acquisition is a mystery of human beings, it starts before a child is bornRead MoreChomsky s Theory Of Human Language1362 Words   |  6 Pagesawe of the concept of human language. The properties of language enable humans to combine individual concepts together in indefinitely many ways, making the range of human thought virtually unlimited. Chomsky is fascinated that language enables humans to say virtually any thing and cooperate to make plans with each other. The faculty of language is arguably what makes human beings cognitively distinct from other creatures. Through narrowing the scope of human language, adopting a rationalistic influenceRead MoreLearning A Second Language At A Young Age1243 Words   |  5 Pagesable to fluently speak two languages is a very demanding and competitive skill. The capability to articulate thoughts to people who may not speak the same primary language as you is very profitable not only in the work force, but also in everyday life. Learning a second language also helps to shorten cultural gaps between different countries. With the seemingly increased importance in learning a second language, schools nationwide have implemented learning a foreign language as a requirement, for graduationRead MoreLearning Language And Foreign Language Learning1393 Words   |  6 PagesLearning second language or foreign language provides great benefits. It helps the child t o get aware of many different cultures and enjoy economic opportunities. Teachers must be aware of how children acquire second language. Unfortunately, Teachers, sometimes have miraculous expectations on children about second language learning. That is because there are some myths and misconceptions about second language learning. It is explained by Barry McLaughlin in his article, â€Å"Myths and misconceptions