Language Development Theories: Practical Implications

I. INTRODUCTION** Children begin developing language at birth as they interact with their caregivers. Children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are exposed to diverse experiences; this diversity creates the concepts to which children attach symbols, or words.

II. THE ROLE OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT** Development of language rests upon several major variables that interact with one another 1. The child’s cultural and linguistic environment is a big influence upon language learning 2. Each child has unique characteristics that she brings to the language learning situation

For a child to develop language optimally…

For example…

Youtube video: Archer likes motherese

III. Theories of Language Acquisition** A. Behaviorist Theory: –B.F. Skinner –Explains acquisition of verbal behavior –Verbal behaviors are learned under appropriate conditions of stimulation, response, and reinforcement –Breaks verbal behavior down into echoics, mands, tacts

In therapy, clinicians who use principles of the behaviorist theory:

For example:** Target: The child will use the word earth in a sentence. Appropriate antecedent event “What planet do we live on?” Child: “We live on planet Earth.” SLP: Right! Great! Here’s a

Youtube Sheldon trains Penny

B. Social Interactionism Theory** Language function, not structure, is emphasized Language develops as a result of children’s social interactions with the important people in their lives Vygotsky (Russian psychologist): language knowledge is acquired through social interaction with more competent and experienced members of the child’s culture

According to social interactionism theory:

Clinical Implications:

How would you motivate the following clients to talk?

C. Cognitive Theory** –Jean Piaget –Emphasizes cognition, or knowledge and mental processes –Language acquisition is made possible by cognition and general intellectual processes –Two forms: strong cognition hypothesis and weak cognition hypothesis

Strong cognition hypothesis:** Cognitive abilities are prerequisites to language skills Language will absolutely not develop without these cognitive abilities Page 41--stages of cognitive development; for the exam, just know what is on the PowerPoint for this chart Cognition language

Weak cognition hypothesis:

Piaget’s stages of cognitive development: Sensorimotor (birth-2 years)

Youtube video: Lucille Piaget’s sensorimotor

Preoperational (2-7 years) Mommy!

Concrete Operations (7-11 years)** Acquires conservation and classification skills Child less egocentric, has ability to see others’ points of view

Youtube A typical child on Piaget’s conservation tasks

Formal Operations (over 11 years)

Clinical implications of the cognitive theory: cognition language

Also….** If cognitive skills are low, why bother with language therapy? It won’t help, because the foundation (cognition) is not there Thus, children with (low) cognitive skills that are commensurate with their (low) language skills are denied therapy

Lastly…** Clinicians must assess and treat cognitive precursors to language and facilitate development of these precursors before working on language itself So, with a very young child, you would work on symbolic play and object permanence before you tried to have a child say her first word

D. Nativist Theory:** –Noam Chomsky –All children are born with a Language Acquisition Device (LAD) –This is a specialized processor that is a physiological part of the brain --Children have an innate capacity to acquire language

Hulit et al. 2015:

Chomsky introduced the concepts of:

surface structure Deep structure

Clinical implications of the nativist theory are scant:

Drawbacks:

E. Information Processing Theory

Phonological processing:** Concerned with processes involved in a child’s ability to mentally manipulate phonological aspects of language These include word rhyming, syllabication, etc.

Temporal auditory processing:** Child’s ability to perceive the brief acoustic events that make up speech sounds and track changes in these events as they happen quickly in the speech of other people Child’s capacity for and speed of processing Children with problems can’t remember and repeat back digit strings, lists of real or nonsense words, etc.—esp. if fast

IV. Education, Language, and Literacy in the School-Age Years** When a child enters kindergarten, she should have solid auditory-oral skills These are strongly related to learning to read and write A child’s emergent literacy skills or preliteracy skills are foundational to later reading and writing in school

Common Core State Standards--4 major goals:

**The overarching goal is to create students who are ready to succeed in a globally competitive, 21 st century society

**Unlike No Child Left Behind (2002), there are no fiscal or other punitive consequences in the standards. Despite this, many professionals nationwide are trying hard to figure out how to help children achieve the standards

**The Common Core State Standards, enacted in 2010, have been adopted by 46 out of 50 states. The standards address English Language Arts and Math

English Language Arts Consists of 4 Areas:

In grades 4-6:

New research is finding that for many children, esp. those who are at risk: (Clark, 2012, “Research on all-day kindergarten”

If we can provide early intervention for children with language impairments…** We will prevent many future problems and help these children achieve their social, academic, and professional potential