Recognised four stages to language development:
1. Preparatory Stage (4-7) - Basic Motor Skills are developed, spelling is acquired2. Consolidation Stage (7-9) - Children begin to use writing to express meaning, start to use sentences to speak.3. Differentiation Stage (9) - Writing and speach develops patterns, and becomes more diverse.4. Integration Stage (14-) - Develop 'personal choice' when writing and speaking, continues to develop through life.
SKINNER
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Children learn to speak by immitating their parents and by being rewarded and punished by their role models
CHOMSKY
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Babies are born with the innate knowlege of the structure of language, this speeds up their learning of native languages.
PIAGET
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Language development goes hand in hand with the development of knowlege.
BRUNER
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1. Language is social: Children initially use language to get what they want and to stay connected with others.
2. Childrens language development is accelerated according to quantity and quality of there social interaction.
LENNEBERG
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The human brain is designed to acquire language at a certain time (during the first five years).
If you have passed this time, then normal language acquisition is not possible.
AITCHISON
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Three stages to language development:
1. Labelling - Making links between words and objects
2. Packaging - understanding words and their meanings
3. Network Building - Grasping the connections, similarities and differences between their words
Language Change
GOODMAN
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As time goes on, language becomes more informal.
LABOV
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We subconsciously change our language to identify with a group of people
'CRUMBLING CASTLE THEORY'
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Language was once a beautiful castle, which has decayed over time.
DAMP SPOON THEORY
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Language changes because we are lazy with it.
SAPIR-WHORF
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Language influences thought and controlled it, allowing for change to occur