''Explain what is meant by Child Directed Speech and consider the role it plays in Language Development.''
Child Directed Speech:
''Explain what is meant by Child Directed Speech and consider the role it plays in Language Development.''
Matt Jardine.
What is Child Directed Speech? It is the theory of language development of young children aged between 1 year old and 4 years old. There are three key features in the development of child speech:
Phonological:
* Speak slower, clearer pronunciation
* More pauses, especially between phrases and sentences
* Higher pitch
* Exaggerated intonation and stress
Lexis:
* Simpler, more restricted vocabulary
* Diminutive forms (e.g. 'doggie')
* Concrete language, referring to objects in the child's immediate environment
Grammar:
* Simpler constructions
* Frequent use of imperatives
* High degree of repetition
* Frequent questions
* Use of personal names instead of pronouns (e.g. 'Mummy' not 'I').
The effects of child speech; phonological development is used as a way to progressively build up a child speech development, simple constructions and vocabulary gradually increase a child's need to speak. Slow speech and exaggerated tones of voice become less demanding and more interesting for a child to hear. When a child speaks, a parent should always be ready to expand on a child's speech; For example:
''All gone'' --> ''that's right you've eaten all up...''
Introduction of new words encourages familiar sentence frames and a development in language acquisition of new vocabulary.
Bruner, J.K. (1983) - puts language acquisition into a social context:
L.A.S.S. (Language Acquisition Support System) - parental guidance.
Bruner said: ''Children learn to use language initially to get what they want, to play games, to stay connected with those upon whom they are dependant on...''
4 phase structure > Mother interaction with a child:
) Gaining attention: e.g. pointing to a picture.
2) ...
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''All gone'' --> ''that's right you've eaten all up...''
Introduction of new words encourages familiar sentence frames and a development in language acquisition of new vocabulary.
Bruner, J.K. (1983) - puts language acquisition into a social context:
L.A.S.S. (Language Acquisition Support System) - parental guidance.
Bruner said: ''Children learn to use language initially to get what they want, to play games, to stay connected with those upon whom they are dependant on...''
4 phase structure > Mother interaction with a child:
) Gaining attention: e.g. pointing to a picture.
2) Query: e.g. ask to identify picture.
3) Label: e.g. tell what object is.
4) Feedback: e.g. Repetition and reinforcement.
Repetition and reinforcement:
Skinner, B.F (1957), Behaviourist:
Suggests that parents should play on the role of: Stimulus > Reward.
However, its noted that all children pass through the stages of development, regardless of the types of reinforcement given. Also, there is a gap between performance (speaking) and competence (understanding). Finally, consistent application - create original sentences (not imitating - creating).
Innateness:
Noam Chomsky (1959 + 1965) }
} Biological Molecule.
Lennenberg }
Lennenberg's theory (L.A.D.) - Language Acquisition Device.
Linguistic Universals
* Deepstructure
* Surface Structure
However, there are criticisms behind this theory:
) Suggests that language can only be learned by exposure to it - neglects interactive aspects.
2) Bard and Sachs (1977) - Jim - Son of deaf parents, - The parents used very little sign language to communicate with him, instead, exposed him to television and radio, to develop and understand language, however, very little language at all was developed until, he was sent to a speech therapist where a gradual progress of speech was accomplished.
So how is speech is developed?
Speech has many theories of how that it can be learnt from, hearing the family speak, repetion and reinforcement, encouragement to speak with imitations and gestures and also development in the brain.
Is it possible to learn more than one language at one time? Theories also suggest that babies acclimatise to sounds of native language before birth,
''In the womb babies are acclimatised to sounds of native language before birth...'' - Mehler, 1988.
Before the age of one years old, babies have very little lack of communication with the outside world and the things they see around them, to ask want they want babies use different techniques to develop their vocal chords and ask for objects, these are:
* Crying - Different signals of crying for different reasons e.g. boredom, hungry, thirsty, tired etc.
* Cooing - gurgling, mewing, development of chords.
* Babbling - Sounds that resemble adult language. Round about 6-9 months.
Phonological development -
Order in which vowels and consonants develop vary from child to child.
Round about 2yrs - all vowels 1/2 consonants
Round about 4 yrs, difficulty of just a few consonants.
Consonants first used correctly at beginning of words. It could be quite difficult to say some consonants at the end of some words. Simplification is the theory suggested that makes words easier to say. This theory was in 1960 by Berko and Brown.
a) Deletion - Final consonant dropped, unstressed syllables omitted. E.g 'Fis', the 'sh' sound dropped for 'Fish'.
b) Substitution - 'r' with 'w' hard sound dropped for easier words.
Lexical and Semantic growth.
yr - first word
8mths - functional vocabulary - 50 words, understood 250 words
5 yrs - functional vocabulary - 2,000 words
7 yrs - functional vocabulary - 4,000 words
The theory of functional/understood words vocabulary was suggested by Katherine Nelson in 1973. Later developed by W.O. Grady, in 1996, known as 'Contemporary Linguistics'. Also he founded:
Entitles - Names of people, foods, places, animals, vehicles, clothes, toys, etc.
Properties - Hot, cold, nice, nasty, dirty, etc.
Actions - Yes, no, up, down, etc.
Personal/Social Interaction - hello, goodbye, please, thank you.
But what is missing? - The functional words which bind these contemporary linguistic features together.
One word Stage - (1 yr - 18mths) Holophrases, > Conveys a more complex message, accompanied by intonation and gesture.
Two Word Stage - (18mths - 24 mths) >
''Mummy Read!'' Subj Verb
''Draw Doggie'' Verd Obj
''Suzy juice '' Subj Obj
''Daddy busy'' Subj Comp.
All of the above sentences contain some sequence of grammatical structure. Also these words are all assembled in the correct grammatical order. However function words are usually ommited.
Use of intonation/gesture needed to know how the sentences are to be expressed, whether they are commands, visual observation etc. Research in 1973 by Bloom observed that sentences can be used to express more than one meaning. Caused by missing inflectional affixes.
