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Photo by: Dusaleev V. DefinitionLanguage development is the process by which children come to understand and communicate language during early childhood. DescriptionFrom birth up to the age of five, children develop language at a very rapid pace. The stages of language development are universal among humans. However, the age and the pace at which a child reaches each milestone of language development vary greatly among children. Thus, language development in an individual child must be compared with norms rather than with other individual children. In general girls develop language at a faster rate than boys. More than any other aspect of development, language development reflects the growth and maturation of the brain. After the age of five it becomes much more difficult for most children to learn language. Receptive language development (the ability to comprehend language) usually develops faster than expressive language (the ability to communicate). Two different styles of language development are recognized. In referential language development, children first speak single words and then join words together, first into two-word sentences and then into three-word sentences. In expressive language development, children first speak in long unintelligible babbles that mimic the cadence and rhythm of adult speech. Most children use a combination these styles. InfancyLanguage development begins before birth. Towards the end of pregnancy, a fetus begins to hear sounds and speech coming from outside the mother's body. Infants are acutely attuned to the human voice and prefer it to other sounds. In particular they prefer the higher pitch characteristic of female voices. They also are very attentive to the human face, especially when the face is talking. Although crying is a child's primary means of communication at birth, language immediately begins to develop via repetition and imitation. Between birth and three months of age, most infants acquire the following abilities:
Between three and six months, most infants can do the following:
The sounds and babblings of this stage of language development are identical in babies throughout the world, even among those who are profoundly deaf. Thus all babies are born with the capacity to learn any language. Social interaction determines which language they eventually learn. Six to 12 months is a crucial age for receptive language development. Between six and nine months babies begin to do the following:
Between nine and 12 months babies may begin to do the following:
ToddlerhoodDuring the second year of life language development proceeds at very different rates in different children. By the age of 12 months, most children use "mama/dada" appropriately. They add new words each month and temporarily lose words. Between 12 and 15 months children begin to do the following:
At 15 to 18 months of age children usually do the following:
At 18 to 24 months of age toddlers come to understand that there are words for everything and their language development gains momentum. About 50 of a child's first words are universal: names of foods, animals, family members, toys , vehicles, and clothing. Usually children first learn general nouns, such as "flower" instead of "dandelion," and they may overgeneralize words, such as calling all toys "balls." Some children learn words for social situations, greetings, and expressions of love more readily than others. At this age children usually have 20 to 50 intelligible words and can do the following:
After several months of slower development, children often have a "word spurt" (an explosion of new words). Between the ages of two and 18 years, it is estimated that children add nine new words per day. Between two and three years of age children acquire:
Children constantly produce sentences that they have not heard before, creating rather than imitating. This creativity is based on the general principles and rules of language that they have mastered. By the time a child is three years of age, most of a child's speech can be understood. However, like adults, children vary greatly in how much they choose to talk. PreschoolThree to four-year-olds usually can do the following:
Language skills usually blossom between four and five years of age. Children of this age can do the following:
School ageAt age five most children can do the following:
Six-year-olds usually can correct their own grammar and mispronunciations. Most children double their vocabularies between six and eight years of age and begin reading at about age seven. A major leap in reading comprehension occurs at about nine. Ten-year-olds begin to understand figurative word meanings. Adolescents generally speak in an adult manner, gaining language maturity throughout high school. Common problemsLanguage delay is the most common developmental delay in children. There are many causes for language delay, both environmental and physical. About 60 percent of language delays in children under age three resolve spontaneously. Early intervention often helps other children to catch up to their age group. Common circumstances that can result in language delay include:
Language delay can result from a variety of physical disorders, including the following:
Brain damage or disorders of the central nervous system can cause the following:
Parental concernsLanguage development is enriched by verbal interactions with other children and adults. Parents and care-givers can have a significant impact on early language development. Studies have shown that children of talkative parents have twice the vocabulary as those of quiet parents. A study from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) found that children in high-quality childcare environments have larger vocabularies and more complex language skills than children in lower-quality situations. In addition language-based interactions appear to increase a child's capacity to learn. Recommendations for encouraging language development in infants include:
When babies reach six to 12 months-of-age, parents should play word games with them, label objects with words, and allow the baby to listen and participate in conversations. Parents of toddlers should do the following:
Parents of two to three-year-olds should do the following:
(Table by GGS Information Services.)
Parents of four to six-year-olds should:
Parents of six to 12-year-olds should talk to the children, not at them, encourage conversation by asking questions that require more than a yes-or-no answer, and listen attentively as the child recounts the day's activities. Additional recommendations for parents and care-givers, by the American Academy of Pediatrics and others, include:
Television viewing does not promote language development. When to call the doctorParents should call the pediatrician immediately if they suspect that their child may have a language delay or a hearing problem. Warning signs of language delay in toddlers include:
KEY TERMSApraxia —Impairment of the ability to make purposeful movements, but not paralysis or loss of sensation. Expressive aphasia —A developmental disorder in which a child has lower-than-normal proficiency in vocabulary, production of complex sentences, and word recall, although language comprehension is normal. Expressive language —Communicating with language. Expressive language development —A style of language development in which a child's babble mimics the cadence and rhythm of adult speech. Receptive aphasia —A developmental disorder in which a child has difficulty comprehending spoken and written language. Receptive language —The comprehension of language. Referential language development —A style of language development in which a child first speaks single words and then joins words together into two- and three-word sentences. ResourcesBOOKSBochner, Sandra, and Jane Jones. Child Language Development: Learning to Talk. London: Whurr Publishers, 2003. Buckley, Belinda. Children's Communications Skills: From Birth to Five Years. New York: Routledge, 2003. Oates, John, and Andrew Grayson. Cognitive and Language Development in Children. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2004. PERIODICALSHoward, Melanie. "How Babies Learn to Talk." Baby Talk 69, no. 3 (April 2004): 69–72. Tsao, Feng-Ming, et al. "Speech Perception in Infancy Predicts Language Development in the Second Year of Life: A Longitudinal Study." Child Development 75, no. 4 (July/August 2004): 1067–84. Van Hulle, Carol A., et al. "Genetic, Environmental, and Gender Effects on Individual Differences in Toddler Expressive Language." Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research 47, no. 4 (August 2004): 904–12. ORGANIZATIONSAmerican Academy of Pediatrics. 141 Northwest Point Blvd., Elk Grove Village, IL 60007. Web site: http://www.aap.org. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 10801 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. Web site: http://asha.org . Child Development Institute. 3528 E. Ridgeway Road, Orange, CA 92867. Web site: http://www.cdipage.com/index.htm. WEB SITES"Activities to Encourage Speech and Language Development." American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Available online at http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/Parent-Stim-Activities.htm (accessed December 29, 2004). Dougherty, Dorthy P. "Developing Your Baby's Language Skills." KidsGrowth. Available online at http://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=714 (accessed December 29, 2004). Genishi, Celia. "Young Children's Oral Language Development." Child Development Institute. Available online at http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/oral_language_development.shtml (accessed December 29, 2004). "How Does Your Child Hear and Talk?" American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Available online at http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/child_hear_talk.htm (accessed December 29, 2004). "Language Development in Children." Child Development Institute. Available online at http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/language_development.shtml (accessed December 29, 2004). Lorenz, Joan Monchak. "Common Concerns about Speech Development: Part I." KidsGrowth. Available online at <www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=965< (accessed December 29, 2004). Rafanello, Donna. "Facilitating Language Development." Healthy Child Care America , Summer 2000.Available online at http://www.healthychildcare.org/pdf/LangDev.pdf (accessed December 29, 2004). Margaret Alic, PhD Other articles you might like:What are the developmental milestones of preschoolers?During this stage, children should be able to ride a tricycle, use safety scissors, notice a difference between girls and boys, help to dress and undress themselves, play with other children, recall part of a story, and sing a song.
What are the milestones in language development?Eighteen to twenty-four months: The major milestones of language development at this age include saying at least 50 different words, putting words together to make two-word phrases, producing some words that can be understood by family members, and following simple commands (“Get your shoes.”).
What are the characteristics of children's language development?It mainly evaluates the language development of children from four aspects: basic learning ability, comprehension ability, expression ability, and communication attitude.
Which cognitive developmental milestone is characteristic of preschoolers?Preschool children in the cognitive development stage begin learning to classify objects according to their characteristics. As stated in Early Education: Three, Four, and Five Year Olds Go to School, children at this stage focus on only one attribute or aspect of an object and ignore all others.
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