Cognitive and Language Development Pertemuan 4 Matakuliah: E Psikologi Pendidikan Tahun: 2010

What is Language ? Language is a form of communication whether spoken, written, or signed- that is based on system of symbols. Language consist of the words used by a community (vocabulary) and the rule for varying and combining them (grammar and syntax) Language involves five system of rules; phonology, morphology, syntax, semantic, and pragmatics. Bina Nusantara University 2

3 Five system rules of language Phonology; a language’s sound system Morphology; the units of meaning involved in word formation Syntax; the ways that words must be combined to form acceptable phrases and sentences Semantics; the meaning of words and sentencies Pragmatics; the use of appropriate use of language in different contexts.

Bina Nusantara University 4 Biological and Environmental Influences Noam Chomsky (1957) argued that humans are prewired to learn language at a certain time and i a certain way. Some language scholars view the remarkable similarities in how children acquire language all over the world, despite the vas variation in language input they receive, as strong evidence that language has a biological basis Other language expert argue that language that the child’s experiences, the particular language to be learned, and the context in which learning takes place can strongly influence language acquisition. Both biological and environmental influences play important roles in children’s language development

How Language Develops Infancy Language acquisition advances past a number of milestones in infancy. Babbling begins at about 3 to 6 months. Utter their first word at about 10 to 13 months Begin to string to words together at 18 to 24 months In two-words stage, they quickly grasp the importance of language in communication, creating phrases such as “my candy”, “mama walk”, “give papa” Bina Nusantara University 5

How Language Develops Early Childhood The transition from simple sentences expressing a single proportion to complex sentences begins between 2 and 3 years Phonology: Most preschool children gradually become sensitive to the sound of spoken words Morphology: children begin using the plural and posssesive form of nouns (books and book’s), putting appropriate endings on verb (s when the subject is third person singular), ect Syntax ; the child shows a growing mastery of complex rules for how words should be ordered (consider wh question, such as “where is dady doing/” Bina Nusantara University 6

How Language Develops Early Childhood Semantics: the speaking vocabulary of a 6 year-old child ranges from 8,000 to 14,000 words. Assuming that words learning began when the child was 12 months old, this translates into a rate of 5 to 8 new word meangings a day between the ages of 1 and 6. Pragmatic : at about 3 years of age, children improve in their ability to talk about things that are not physically present. Bina Nusantara University 7

How Language Develops Midlle and late childhood As they enter school, children gain new skills that make it possible for them to learn to read and write; these include increasingly using language in a displaced way, learning what a word is, and learning how to recognize and talk about sounds. As children develop during middle and late childhood, changes in their vocabulary and grammar also take place. Bina Nusantara University 8

How Language Develops Midlle and late childhood During the elementary school years, children increasingly able to understand and use complex grammar. Metaliguistic awareness also improves considerably during the elementary school years. Metalinguistic awareness refers to knowledge of language which allows children “to think about their language, understand what words are, and even define them” Bina Nusantara University 9

How Language Develops Adolescence Language development during adolescence includes increased sophistication in the use of words. As they develop abstract thinking, adolescence become much better than children at analyzing the function a word plays ia sentence. Adolescence also develop more subtle abilities with words. They make strides in understanding metaphor, which is an implied comparison between unlike things. Adolescence become better able to understand and to use satire, which is the use of irony, derision, or wit to expose folly or wickedness. Bina Nusantara University 10