📕 Chapter 9: Language Development
(From Children’s Thinking, 7th Edition)
🧠 OVERVIEW
Language is a uniquely human ability that develops rapidly in early childhood. This chapter
explores how children acquire language, the biological and environmental influences, and
how language supports cognitive development.
📚 BASIC CONCEPTS OF LANGUAGE
● Language: A system of symbols and rules used for communication.
● Phonology: Sounds and their patterns.
● Morphology: Rules for word formation (e.g., prefixes, suffixes).
● Syntax: Rules for combining words into sentences (grammar).
● Semantics: Word and sentence meaning.
● Pragmatics: Use of language in social context (e.g., tone, politeness).
👶 DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES
👂 Prelinguistic Communication
● Birth to 6 months: Cooing, eye contact, turn-taking in conversation.
● 6–10 months: Babbling (consonant-vowel patterns like “ba-ba”).
● 10–12 months: First words and gestures (e.g., pointing).
, 🧒 From Words to Sentences
● 12–18 months: Word spurt begins (naming explosion).
● 18–24 months: Two-word combinations (“mommy go”).
● 2–3 years: Rapid vocabulary growth, telegraphic speech (leaving out non-essential
words).
● 3–5 years: Mastery of most grammar rules; use of complex sentences.
🔁 Overregularization
● Applying grammar rules too broadly (e.g., “goed,” “foots”).
● Reflects rule learning, not forgetting.
🧬 BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF LANGUAGE
🧠 Brain Specialization
● Left hemisphere: Language dominant in most people.
● Broca’s area: Speech production.
● Wernicke’s area: Language comprehension.
🧠 Sensitive Periods
● Language learning is easiest early in life.
● Critical period hypothesis: Suggests a window of opportunity, especially before age 7.
(From Children’s Thinking, 7th Edition)
🧠 OVERVIEW
Language is a uniquely human ability that develops rapidly in early childhood. This chapter
explores how children acquire language, the biological and environmental influences, and
how language supports cognitive development.
📚 BASIC CONCEPTS OF LANGUAGE
● Language: A system of symbols and rules used for communication.
● Phonology: Sounds and their patterns.
● Morphology: Rules for word formation (e.g., prefixes, suffixes).
● Syntax: Rules for combining words into sentences (grammar).
● Semantics: Word and sentence meaning.
● Pragmatics: Use of language in social context (e.g., tone, politeness).
👶 DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES
👂 Prelinguistic Communication
● Birth to 6 months: Cooing, eye contact, turn-taking in conversation.
● 6–10 months: Babbling (consonant-vowel patterns like “ba-ba”).
● 10–12 months: First words and gestures (e.g., pointing).
, 🧒 From Words to Sentences
● 12–18 months: Word spurt begins (naming explosion).
● 18–24 months: Two-word combinations (“mommy go”).
● 2–3 years: Rapid vocabulary growth, telegraphic speech (leaving out non-essential
words).
● 3–5 years: Mastery of most grammar rules; use of complex sentences.
🔁 Overregularization
● Applying grammar rules too broadly (e.g., “goed,” “foots”).
● Reflects rule learning, not forgetting.
🧬 BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF LANGUAGE
🧠 Brain Specialization
● Left hemisphere: Language dominant in most people.
● Broca’s area: Speech production.
● Wernicke’s area: Language comprehension.
🧠 Sensitive Periods
● Language learning is easiest early in life.
● Critical period hypothesis: Suggests a window of opportunity, especially before age 7.
