Language Development

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Childhood Development of Language Analysis Jessica M. Leonard College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Grand Canyon University PSY 560: Learning, Cognition, and Motivation Dr. Houser December 20th, 2023 1

Childhood Development of Language Analysis Early language development is a determinant in adult employment, mental and emotional health, and the quality of interaction and relationships between self and others. The importance of speech and language acquisition in the early years cannot be overstated. In fact, children who have difficulty with language acquisition at the age of 5, are one-and-a-half times more likely to to be suffering with mental health issues at the age of 34. Additionally, the same children are twice as likely to be unemployed when. Compared to their peers with typical language development (Richardson et al., 2023). Successful language development is critical for cognitive development, emotional growth, and overall well-being of a child. For instance, language allows children to regulate their emotions by providing the means of self-expression and support seeking. Language also aids in the understanding of the emotions and points-of-view of others th us enhancing social connection and relationships. Language Development Theories Childhood language development is a gradual process beginning in infancy and progressing in a linear trajectory as the child grows. The development of language includes the acquisition of linguistic concepts like phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Phonemes, studied in phonology, are the basic sounds produced in each language. The English language includes about 40 phonemes including the sounds “ a ” “ k ”, and “ th ”. A morpheme is a basic unit of meaning in a language like re or ed. Morphology, therefore, refers to the formation of words. Syntax refers to the grammatical rules governing the structuring of words into sentences. Semantics examines the meaning of words and sentences. Pragmatics is the understanding of the social use of language (Farmer & Matlin, 2019). The main theories related to language acquisition focus on environmental factors, innate ability and the importance 2

of a critical period for which acquisition can best occur, and the connection between innate abilities and, social cues and modeling, and developmental cognitive function. Behaviorist Theory Proposed primarily by B. F Skinner, the behaviorist theory of language acquisition suggests that language is learned through reinforcement. Skinner was a behaviorist in that he believed language acquisition results from stimulus and response style conditioning. Skinner did not believe that language ability was innate in humans but rather it is learned through association with sounds and observation and imitation of adults who model the sounds and reinforce correct responses. Nativist Theory One of the most famous researchers in the field of linguistic, Noam Chomsky, believed that humans are born with an innate ability to acquire language and that language has a universal grammar that is learned across all languages (Waliaula, 2023). Chomsky believed that all people are born in possession of a language acquisition device (LAD). Chomsky has been criticized for dismissing the process of learning language and the incredibly complex cognitive processes that are involved in the acquisition of language. Interactionist Perspective Made famous by Vygotsky in the 1960’s, the interactionist perspective on language development includes a socio-cultural aspect of language acquisition. Interactionists argue that social, linguistic, biological, and cognitive elements work together in the development of language. This perspective also highlights the fact that social factors improve language acquisition and conversely, language acquisition improves social and cognitive and social development (Çakıroğlu, 2018). 3

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Critical Period Hypothesis The critical period hypothesis suggests that there is a biological age (around the age of puberty) at which learning a new language is possible. The hypothesis goes on to say that learning to speak a language with native fluency after this period is not possible. Recent research however has contradicted the hypothesis by citing the influence of neuroplasticity which can facilitate the learning of a new language as long as adequate instruction and immersion is provided (Farmer & Matlin, 2019). Bilingual Development and Cognition The ability to speak two languages fluently is known as bilingualism. It was proposed in the 1900’s that bilingualism caused cognitive deficit because two languages needed to be stored in the brain essentially decreasing cognitive ability. Since that time, much research has been done on the cognitive processing occurring during the process of learning another language. Recently, research has shown that both the native and the second language learned are contained in one system thus no cognitive impairment results from bilingualism (Farmer & Matlin, 2019). It has also been found that bilingual children gain greater understanding of their native language through the observation of the similarities and differences between both spoken languages. Bilinguals also score higher on problem-solving tasks that require them to disregard non- essential information. There are, however, some inconsistencies in the research on the “bilingual advantage. For example, research results showing that bilinguals enjoy enhanced executive function ability has been difficult to replicate. It has been suggested that the difficulty in replicable research stems from the differences in subjective life experiences between bilinguals and monolinguals is too challenging to control for in experiments that test the executive function 4

and attention related cognitive ability. Life experiences and general psychological condition which may influence the executive function ability may be too varied between monolinguals and bilinguals to control for. Code Switching Code-switching is meaningful form of language, interaction, and identity among people who are more proficient in separate languages than they are in a shared language. An example is Black Americans usin African American vernacular English (formally referred to as “Ebonics”) when they are with family and friends and using standard English in settings where they may face racism or discrimination concerns (Benson, 2023). As such, code switching is only permissible when other conversation partners are fluent in both languages (Tomić & Kaan, 2022). Research by Tomic and Kann (2022) has suggested that the neural mechanisms responsible for the process of coded switching differ when the speaker is in the presence of conversation partners who speak both languages as opposed to speaking in the presences of people who do not speak both languages. This suggests that pragmatic and semantic processing code-switches differs depending in who is present (Tomić & Kaan, 2022). Language acquisition, bilingualism, and code switching are all complex linguistic processes that are interconnected with cognitive aspects in the above-mentioned ways. The ability for human beings to facilitate these unique and meaningful achievements speaks to the incredible capacity of human cognition to integrate, translate, and utilize language in various ways according to the social context and expectation. 5

References Benson, A. K. (2023). Code switching. Salem Press Encyclopedia . Çakıroğlu, A. (2018). The Language Acquisition Approaches and the Development of Literacy Skills in Children. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education , 11 (2), Farmer, T. A., & Matlin, M. W. (2019). (10th ed.). Wiley.201–206. https://doi- org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.26822/iejee.2019248600 Richardson, T., Waite, S., Askerlund, P., Almers, E., & Hvit-Lindstrand, S. (2023). How does nature support early language learning? A systematic literature review. Early Years . https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/09575146.2023.2220978 Tomić, A., & Kaan, E. (2022). Oscillatory brain responses to processing code-switches in the presence of others. Brain and Language, 231 , 105139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2022.105139 Waliaula, A. J., PhD. (2023). Language acquisition. Salem Press Encyclopedia 6

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