First Language AcquisitionChapter 14

Basic Requirements

•A language-using environment

•Capable of sending and receiving sounds signals in a language

•Able to interact with others via language

Caregiver Speech•Frequent use of questions

•Exaggerated intonation

•Slow tempo

•Long pauses

•Simple sentences

•A lot of repetition

The Acquisition ScheduleAll normal children develop language at roughly the

same time

•COOING: the earliest speech-like sounds

•First few months of life•Sequences of vowel-like sounds

•5 months old•Able to hear the difference between vowels [i] and [a] and syllables [ba] and [pa]

One-Word Stage•Between 12 and 18 months

•ONE-WORD STAGE•Single-unit utterance•EXAMPLES: milk, cookie, cup

•HOLOPHRASTIC•Single form functioning as an entire phrase or sentence

Two-Word Stage

•18-20 months•TWO-WORD STAGE•Used with a vocabulary of 50+ words•EXAMPLES: baby chair, light off, cat bad•Interpretation is solely related to context

Telegraphic Speech•Between 2 and 2 ½

•Produces 200-300 distinct words•Understands 1000-1500 words•TELEGRAPHIC SPEECH

•Strings of words in phrases and sentences (like a telegraph)•EXAMPLES: this shoe all wet, daddy go bye-bye

•By 3 yrs.•Pronunciation has become closer to the form of adult language

The Acquisition ProcessLanguage acquisition is NOT simply a matter of :

•Providing instruction on how to speak a language•Filling a little empty head with words•Children imitating adult speech•An adult making corrections to a child’s speech

Rather, a more accurate view would be that children actively construct, from what is said to them, possible ways of using the language.

Developing Syntax, Cont.

FORMING QUESTIONS

•1st (18-26 months): add wh-form in front and rising intonation at the end

•Where kitty?

•2nd (22-30 months): same as 1st , but more complex phrases

•Why you smiling?

•3rd (24-40 months): S/V inversion occurs•Can I go?

Developing Syntax, Cont.

FORMING NEGATIVES

•1st (18-26 months): put no or not at the beginning•I no fall. (I didn’t fall)

•2nd (22-30 months): negative forms don’t and can’t appear with other auxiliary forms such as won’t and didn’t following closely behind.

Developing Semantics

OVEREXTENSION•When the meaning of a word is OVEREXTENDED on the basis of shape, sound, size, movement, texture, or other characteristics.

•EXAMPLE:•doggie=all four-legged creatures•cookie=all circular things•fly=any little specks of anything

Overextension is usually only relevant to a child’s language PRODUCTION, not COMPREHENSION. What does this mean?

As the child’s vocabulary increases, the overextension of words occurs less and less.

By the age of 5, the child has completed the greater part of L1

acquisition.

What does this knowledge of L1 acquisition process mean for

teachers? How can we apply this knowledge?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvlsco7ux4gGettysburg Addresshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-RAIRA941EYoung 2-year-old with incomprehensible speechhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI42LSbwc8E&feature=relatedMaking sense of nonsense