PRINCIPLES AND THEORIES OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

AND LEARNING
(BSEE24)
NATURE OF LANGUAGE AND LEARNING
1. define language and learning according to
different authorities;

2. discuss how one’s understanding of language

determines how one teaches it; and

3. share their insights on how one’s understanding

of the way a learner learns determine one’s
philosophy of education, teaching style, approach,
methods, and classroom techniques.
Focus Questions:

1. What is language?
2. What is learning?
3. How do you learn a language?
Your view(s) of language
determines your way of
teaching.

What is your view of language?

Language is...
–a system of signs.
– a set of rules and principles.

-system of conventional spoken or written

symbols.

– a set (finite or infinite) of sentences, each finite in

length and constructed out of a finite set of elements.
–a matrix for the expression of thoughts.
– a social medium of expression.
– an instrument of social interaction.
– a weapon of empowerment and a tool against
oppression
- a psychological tool used to solve problems
What are the common
views on language?
What are the common
views on language
learning?
• Language is a system of structures
• Language is a linguistic system made up of
various subsystems:

phonology morphology syntax

Semantics and
lexicon pragmatics
Learning a language is to learn its…
-vocabulary and structural rules.
- Syntactic system (phrase & sentences)
- Morphological/Lexical system
(morphemes & words)
-Phonological system (Phonemes )

STRUCTURAL VIEW
• Language is a linguistic system as well
as a means for doing things.
• Learners learn a language in order to do
things with it (use it)
• Learners learn a language through using it
• Instruction focused on the functions and
notions of language

Functional view
• Language is a communicative tool to maintain social
relations.
• Language is the reflection of cultures
• Learners need to know the rules of a language and where,
when and how it is appropriate to use them.
• Instruction on cultures and focus on appropriateness of
speech
Two things are needed for communication:

Rules of language form (grammar &

vocabulary)
Rules of language use in a context
Is it appropriate to use this language item in this
context?

Interactional view
 VIEWS LANGUAGE LANGUAGE LEARNING
Structural Language is a linguistic to learn these structural items: .
system made up of structural * vocabulary and grammar (sentence patterns
rules and vocabulary.

Functional Language is a linguistic To know how to combine the vocabulary to express

system as well as a means notions that communicative categories
for doing things (to be used communicative ability (to be able to communicate)
in real life).
Interactional Language is a not only to know the grammar and vocabulary of the
communicative tool to language, but also know the rules for using them in a
maintain social relations. whole range of communicative

-to communicate appropriately (communicative

strategies, cultural awareness, etc.)
What are the common views
on language learning?
Process-oriented theories are concerned with how
the mind process new information, such as habit
formation, induction, making inference, hypothesis
testing and generalization.

Condition-oriented theories
emphasize the nature of the human and physical context
in which language learning takes place, such as the
number of students, what kind of input learners receive,
and the learning atmosphere.
 Process-oriented theories

Behaviorism Pavlov Imitation & External

Skinner repetition (S-R-R) factors
• Representatives: Pavlov, Skinner.
• Behaviorist view of language and learning.
• All complex forms of behaviors can be learned by Stimulus-Response-Reinforcement.
• Language is a form of behavior.
• Language can be learned as animals are trained to respond to stimuli (by mechanical
drills such as imitation & repetition).
• Influence (Audio-Lingual Method).
• ‘Listen and repeat’ drilling activities are the most important classroom activities.
• Mistakes are immediately corrected and correct utterances are immediately praised.
Ivan Pavlov: S-R
(1849-1936)
 B. F. Skinner: S-R-R
(1904 - 1990)

Operant Conditioning Theory

“Reinforcement, Punishment”

STIMULUS-RESPONSE-REINFORCEMENT

“Behavior is influenced by its consequences.”

Condition-oriented
theories

Cognitivism

Constructivism

Social-constructivism
 Chomsky Thinking Internal
Cognitivism (creativity) factors
• Representative: Chomsky
• Cognitive view of language and learning
• Influence: Natural Approach
• If all language is learned by imitation and repetition, how can a child
produce a sentence that has never been said by others before?
• “Olha o desenho que eu fazi”;
• “Vamos lá no pintinheiro?”
• “Eu não sabo não.
• Language is not a form of behaviour. It is an intricate (complicated) rule-
based system. (Language is rule-governed)
 Cognitivism
•Children must have an inborn faculty for language
acquisition.
•Language Acquisition Device (LAD).
•There are a finite number of grammatical rules in the
system and with knowledge of these rules an infinite
number of sentences can be produced. (Language is
generative)
• Influence of cognitive theory
•Learners should be allowed to create their own
sentences based on their understanding of certain rules
(creativity).
 Input
(Language Data)

Output (Language
Language
produced by
Acquisition Device
learners)
(LAD)

Noam Chomsky
(1928--)
Constructivism Piaget Personal Interaction
Dewey construction
Bruner
• Representatives: Piaget, Bruner, Dewey.
• Constructivist view of language and learning

Jean Piaget (1896 – 1980) Piaget’s views and influence

 Learning is a personal construction

Learner’s experience of knowledge to be learned based on
Learner’s
Knowledge to be learned personal construction the learner’s previous experience.
 Receiving Processing Constructing
information information new information

Input (listening, Decoding (Listening/reading)

reading)

Relating what learners

already know with the
comprehension
Received information output
 Dewey’s views and influence
John Dewey
(1859-1952)

 Learning by doing
 Teaching should be built on learners’ experience and
engage learners in learning activities.

 Teachers need to design environments and

interact with learners.
 Social- Vygotsky ZPD &
constructivism scaffolds Interaction
• Representative: Vygotsky
• Social-constructivist view of language and learning
• Social-constructivist views of language and language
learning

Lev Vygosky (1896-1934)

Social-constructivist views of language and language learning

 Interaction and engagement with the target language in a social context is

important.
 ZPD—Zone of Proximal Development

Zone of Proximal Development

& scaffolding
Social-constructivist views of language and
language learning

 Scaffolding—learning is best achieved through the dynamic

interaction between:

–the teacher and the learner (question & explanation)

– the learners themselves.
Your view of language determines your way of teaching.

Your view of language and language learning determines your teaching

methods.

Your teaching method is a major

factor to determine whether you’ll
succeed or not in a given context.
Why is the study of language teaching methods
important?
Thestudy of approaches and methods provides
teachers with a view of how the field of
language teaching has evolved.
They can be studied not as prescriptions for
how to teach but as a source of well-used practices, which
teachers can adapt or implement on their own needs.
Experiencein using different teaching approaches
and methods can provide teachers with basic
teaching skills that they can later add to or
supplement as they develop teaching experience.

When teachers are exposed to methods and asked to

reflect on their principles and actively engage with
their techniques, they can become clearer about why
they do what they do. They become aware of their own
fundamental assumptions, values and beliefs.
By becoming clearer on where they stand,
teachers can choose to teach differently from the
way they were taught. They are able to see why
they are attracted to certain methods and repelled
by others.

• A knowledge of methods offers teachers

alternatives to what they currently think and do.
With a knowledge of various methods, they are
able to make choices that are informed, not
conditioned or imposed by authorities.
 Approach, method and technique (Anthony, 1963)
Approach Method Technique
* A set of * A practical application of an * It refers to the practical
assumptions or beliefs approach. implementation of activities
about language within a method.
teaching/learning. * An overall plan, level at which * A specific task or activity
theory is put into practice that actually takes place in
* Theories about language. including or not an orderly a classroom, i. e.,
* It is axiomatic and describes the presentation of language a strategy, procedure.
nature of the subject matter. material.
* An approach can give rise to
different methods. * While the approach is axiomatic,
the method is
procedural.
Different theories about the nature of
language and how languages are learned
(the approach) imply different ways of
teaching language (the method) and
different methods make use of different
kinds of classroom activities (the
techniques)
 Approach, Design and Procedure
( Richards; Rodgers, 1986)
METHOD
Approach Design Procedure
* refers to the beliefs * level in which *concerns the
and theories about objectives, syllabus, techniques and
language, language and content are practices employed in
learning and teaching determined, and in the classroom as
that underlie a method which objectives, the consequences of
roles of teachers, particular approaches
learners and and designs.
instructional materials
are specified
The Audio-lingual method
 The Structural view of language is the view behind the Audio-
lingual method. Particular emphasis was laid on mastering the
building blocks of language and learning the rules for combining
them.

 Theory of learning
 Behaviorism, including the following principles:
– language learning is habit-formation
– mistakes are bad and should be avoided, as they make bad habits
– language skills are learned more effectively if they are presented orally first, then in
written form
– analogy is a better foundation for language learning than analysis
– The meanings of words can be learned only in a linguistic and cultural context
Hereare some of the objectives of the audio-lingual
method:
–accurate pronunciation and grammar

–ability to respond quickly and accurately in speech

situations
–knowledge of sufficient vocabulary to use with grammar
patterns.

 The syllabus
–Audiolingualism uses a structural syllabus
Types of learning techniques and activities
–dialogues
–drills
Procedure

Here is a typical procedure in an audio-lingual course:

–Students hear a model dialogue
–Students repeat each line of the dialogue
–Certain key words or phrases may be changed in the
dialogue
–Key structures from the dialogue serve as the basis for pattern drills of
different kinds.
–The students practice substitutions in the pattern drills.
 Total Physical Response
Theory of language
Asher does not directly address his view of language but Richards
and Rodgers state that the labeling and ordering of classroom
activities seem to be build on the Structural view of language
References
–Richards, Jack C. and Theodore S. Rodgers. Approaches and
methods in language teaching: A description and analysis.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1986.
–www.nse.cn/nse/jp/08110308.ppt
–www.deu.edu.tr/.../Birimler/.../History_of_Language_
Teaching.ppt
– 210.46.96.21/jpsystem2/UploadFile/20085192327156 11.ppt
–http://www.sil.org/lingualinks/languagelearning/Ways
ToApproachLanguageLearning/contents.htm
Outcomes Based Assessment (OBA)
1. Create a word cloud with Language and Learning as
two big words
2. Come up with what are the common concepts related to
language and learning.
3. Answer the questions below.
a. What is language?
b. What is learning?
c. How do you learn a language?
4. Reflect on your experiences during elementary and high
school days. Discuss a certain activity or strategy used by
your English teacher that you think is best for you.
Theory of Language Acquisition Search

NATIVIST
APPROACH
Pamanian Galapon
Guerrero
Arsenio Bombales
 Understand the Nativist Approach
Explain the different point of views in
the Nativist Approach

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

 SPOILER ALERT!

Parallel Sytematic
distributed LAD Rule-governed
processing

Creative Pivot Universal

Construction Grammar Grammar
The term nativist was derived from the
assertions that language acquisition is
innate to us.
 ERIC LENNEBERG (1967)

-language is a "species-
specific" behavior
-human language
acquisition was
biologically determined.
 NOAM CHOMSKY (1965)

Hypothesized that
children are born with a
hard-wired language
acquisition device (LAD)
in their brain.
 DAVID MCNEILL (1966)

- described the LAD

as consisting of four
innate linguistic
properties
Search

1. The ability to distinguish speech

sounds from other sounds in the
environment
2. The ability to organize linguistic data
into various classes that can later
be refined
Search

3. Knowledge that only a certain kind of

linguistic system is possible and that other
kinds are not
4. The ability to engage in constant evaluation
of the developing linguistic system so as to
construct the simplest possible system out of
the available linguistic input
Search

More recently, researchers in the

nativist tradition continued this line of
inquiry through a genre of child
language acquisition research that
focuses on what has come to be known
as Universal Grammar
Research has shown that
the child’s language, at
any given point, is a
legitimate system in its
own right.
CREATIVE CONSTRUCTION THEORY

-Proposed by Stephen Krashen

Also called the Monitor Model
-Learners are thought to
"construct” internal
representations of the language
being learned
 PIVOT GRAMMARS

-early grammars of child language

-commonly observed that the child’s
first two-word utterances seemed to
manifest two separate word classes,
and not simply two words thrown
together at random.
Consider these words:

"my cap" "bye-bye Jeff"

"that horsie" "Mommy sock"

Sentence > pivot word + open word

 As the child’s language matures and
finally becomes adult like, the number
and
complexity of generative rules accounting
for language competence, of course,
boggles the mind.
 Challenges to
Nativist Approach
 The assumption underlying this
tradition was that those generative
rules, or “items” in a linguistic
sense, are connected serially,with
one connection between each pair
of neurons in the brain.
PARALLEL DISTRIBUTED PROCESSING (PDP)

MCCLELLAND DAVID

-model proposed by the

psychologists
David E. Rumelhart and
Jay L. McClelland
 Information is
processed
simultaneously at
several levels of
attention.
CONNECTIONISM
which neurons in the
brain are said to form
multiple connections
went -ed

go goed
 EMERGENTISM

a perspective, espoused by William

O’Grady (1999, 2003, 2012), O’Grady, Lee
and Kwak (2009), MacWhinney
(1999),
 The complexity of language
emerges from a relatively simple
developmental process being
exposed to a massive and complex
environment.
Contributions of nativist to L1 acquisition

Freedom from the restrictions of the

“scientific method” to explore the
unseen, unobservable, underlying, abstract
linguistic structures being
developed in the child
 The construction of a number of
potential properties of Universal
Grammar, through which we can
better understand not just language
acquisition but the nature of human
languages in general
Systematic description of the child’s
linguistic repertoire as either rule-
governed, or operating out of parallel
distributed processing capacities,
or the result of experiential
establishment of connections
Thank you!
Until our next meeting!
 References
Ahsan, N. (n.d.). Language Acquisition Theory. [PowerPoint Slides].
https://www.slideshare.net/SNailaAhsan/language-acquisition-theories-234472597?
fbclid=IwAR38P6w-0B_OC544OIM1WtXlPRbHF0Nz8NjogSXnaQpzfRQG7LXYQNE_YlA

Builteman, R. (2015, December 7). Emergentism in Linguistics.

https://prezi.com/g2yil0jrsiv_/emergentism-in-linguistics/

Creative Construction Theory. (n.d.). https://lucasavichouser.tripod.com/sla/creative-

construction-theory.html?
fbclid=IwAR03g6EiqPVPAPLETkRwhA9MV6OlbN5stMLveojEMLsJcx8UNAXSSDd6H9A

Wagner, J. (n.d.). What is Language Acquisition? https://ielanguages.com/language-

acquisition.html?fbclid=IwAR2w-
KtuA8kUjw40o1IR1hiSqB3X7krXeQ44mlV6EmjcZZZ7CjL5Aa2pP0M
COGNITIVE
THEORY
At the end of this lesson, learners are expected to:

explain
01 the cognitive theory in term of
language acquisition.

understand
02 how cognitive aspects affects the
acquisition of language

compare
03 the cognitive theory differs with
other learning acquisition theory
 GLOSSARY
COGNITIVE THEORY
of, relating to, being, or involving a set of principles on which the
conscious intellectual activity practice of an activity is based
(such as thinking, reasoning, or
remembering ) cognitive
impairment

LANGUAGE LEARNING ACQUISITION

an active process that begins at learning or developing of a skill,
birth and continues throughout life habit, or quality.
JEAN PIAGET Jean Piaget was a Swiss psychologist and
genetic epistemologist. He is most famously
known for his theory of cognitive
development that looked at how children
develop intellectually throughout the course
of childhood.

Prior to Piaget's theory, children were often thought

of simply as mini-adults.1
Instead, Piaget suggested that the way children
think is fundamentally different from the way that
adults think.
WHAT IS COGNITIVE THEORY?

is a psychological approach to understanding how the

brain works. We can use cognitive theory to help us
understand how human beings learn languages,
whether this is a first language or a second language.
 WHAT IS COGNITIVE THEORY?
Cognitive theory is grounded in the idea that individuals must first
understand a concept before they can use language to express it.
It argues that, in order to understand new concepts, children (or
adults) must develop their cognitive abilities and build their own
mental image of the world
 How is Jean Piaget related to this?

 A good example of this is seriation.

There will be a point in a child’s intellectual development when

he can compare objects with respect to size. This means that if
you gave the child a number of sticks, he could arrange them in
order of size.

 Piaget suggested that a child who had not yet reached this
stage would not be able to learn and use comparative adjectives
like bigger or smaller.
 COMPONENTS OF COGNITIVE
LEARNING:
COMPREHENSION MEMORY APPLICATION

● Cognitive learning
● Cognitive learning
discourages cramming
● For cognitive strategies help you
of information, which is
learning to be apply new
very ineffective in
efficient and benefit information or skills
education. Having a
you, understand the in life situations.
deep understanding of
reason why you are They encourage you
a subject improves
learning a specific as you continue to
your ability to relate
subject in the first develop problem-
new knowledge with
place. solving skills.
previous experiences
or information.
2 THINGS OUR MIND DOES WHEN
RECEIVED A NEW INFORMATION:

● or retrieves it from
● codes it as 'new'
memory as 'not
information;
new' information
 OBJECT PERMANENCE
● Object permanence is another
phenomenon often cited in relation to the
cognitive theory.
● During the first year of life, children seem
unaware of the existence of objects they
cannot see.
● An object which moves out of sight
ceases to exist.
 OBJECT PERMANENCE
● By the time they reach the age of 18 months,
children have realized that objects have an
existence independently of their perception.
● The cognitive theory draws attention to the large
increase in children’s vocabulary at around this
age, suggesting a link between object
permanence and the learning of labels for
objects
 BEHAVIORAL LEARNING THEORY
vs. COGNITIVE LEARNING THEORY

● behavioral learning ● cognitive learning

theory only focuses theory focuses on
on external internal mental
observable behavior processes.
 COGNITIVE THEORY IN THE REALM OF
LANGUAGE
● The cognitive theory of language acquisition
was first proposed by the Swiss psychologist
Jean Piaget in the 1930s. Piaget believed that
language learning is closely linked to the
maturation and development of the human
brain. He stated that exposure to the world
allows a child's mind to develop, in turn,
allowing language to develop
 COGNITIVE THEORY IN THE REALM OF
LANGUAGE

● The cognitive theory of language acquisition is

based on the aspect that a child develops
language as he develops intellect. The inherent
theory focuses on the innate aspects of the
brain that allows children to formulate verbal
processes.
 THANKS!

CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo, and

includes icons by Flaticon, and infographics & images by Freepik
 RESOURCES
https://pediaa.com/difference-between-behavioral-and-cognitive-learning-theories/amp/
https://www.valamis.com/hub/cognitive-learning
https://study.com/learn/lesson/cognitive-theory.html
https://www.studysmarter.us/explanations/english/language-acquisition/cognitive-theory/
https://www.cliffsidemalibu.com/blog/language-
acquisition/#:~:text=The%20cognitive%20theory%20of%20language,children%20to%20formula
te%20verbal%20processes.
https://www.verywellmind.com/jean-piaget-biography-1896-1980-2795549
WELCOME TO OUR PRESENTATION PARTY!
FROM SE1AE

GR O U P
FO U R
OUR GROUP MEMBERS

Lance Anastacio

Cj Badajos

Jazmin Fernandez

Mari Felizardo

Kyle Nolasco
 WELCOME TO OUR PRESENTATION PARTY!
FROM SE1AE

F UN C T IO N AL
A PPRO A CH
Before we
 L E T 'S PL A Y !

Identify the words behind the pictures that

we will show on the screen

A letter with negative sign is reduce from a word

Sy + +
-E

+ +
-E
-k
-DE
Systemic
Linguistic
+ AL
+ OLOGY
Functional
Typology
+ 2+
+ ING
Function to Form
Mapping
T H A N K Y O U
 WELCOME TO OUR PRESENTATION PARTY!
FROM SE1AE

F UN C T IO N AL
A PPRO A CH
 O B J E C T I V E S

To define Functional Approach

To identify the four Functional Approaches
To learn the significance of Functional Approaches
F U N C T I O N A L
 F U N C T I ONA L
A P P RO ACH

The most influential of the approaches and is based

on the frame work of functionalism.

Consider language primarily as a system of communication

rather than as a set of rules.
 F OUR
FU N C T I O N A L
A P P RO A C H E S
 Four Functional Approaches

Systematic Linguistics

Functional Typology
Function to form mapping

Information organization
 Systematic Linguistics
Created by M.A.K. Halliday in 1950
This model is for analyzing in terms of interrelated systems
of choices.

Language structure cannot be idealized.

 Systematic Linguistics
Halliday in 1975 describes the evolution of the ff pragmatic
functions in early L1. acquisition which are universal to children.
Instrumental - used as a mean of getting things done
Heuristic - language of way of learning things
Regulatory- used to regulate behavior of others
Imagination- creation through language of world of one's own making
Interactional - language in interaction between self and others.
Representational- means of expressing propositions.
Personal- awareness of language as form of one's identity.
 Functional Typology
Based on the comparative study of a wide arange of world's
language. It involves the classificiation of language and their
categories. Major goal is to describe the patterns of similarities

and differences among them. Functional Typology determine or

to decide which type show more or less frequently or are
universal in distribution.
 Functional Typology
Markedness

It is a contrast between two or more members of a category

such as number, case, or tense.
 Functional Typology
Unmarked - Is a word with just a normal
meaning.

Marked - refers to the way of words are changed

or added to give a deep and special meaning
 Functional Typology
e.g:

Man - Unmarked Walk - Unmarked

Old Man - Marked Walked - Marked
 Functional To Form
Mapping
•Grammaticalization is driven by communicative need and use.

• Acquisition of both L1 and L2 involves a process of

grammaticalization.

• Language acquisition importantly involves developing

linguistic forms.
 Example

'I play football' - Beginner level

to 'I play football yesterday' - Intermediate level

to 'I played football yesterday'- Advanced level

 Example Explained:
Jill play football
Jill play football + yesterday
lexical word

Jill play + 'ed' (past tense) football + yesterday

grammatical marker (suffix ) lexical word

 Information Organization

Focuses on utterance.
Pertains with regards to how words are put together.
Unravels the sort of Organizational Principles that guide
learners during different stages of development as well as
how they intertwine with each other.
 Information Organization /Stages of Development
Nominal Utterance Organization (NUO) e.g. Luis and Gab report class

-Has a vague and unclear stucture, often lacks the utilization of verbs.

Infinite Utterance Organization (IUO) e.g. Luis and Gab explained report to class

-More vivid than NUO, for it has more structural depth, but still far from being complete.

Finite Utterance Organization (FUO) e.g. Luis and Gab explained the report to the
class

-All of the elements are present for a complete structure to be established.

 Information Organization
Organizing Principles
Phrasal constraints - Limitation upon phrases.
Semantic constraints - Limitation upon meaning.
Pragmatic constraints - Limitation upon context.
 Any
QU ESTIO NS
Q UES T IO N

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LEARNING THE

FUNCTIONAL APPROACHES AS A FUTURE
EDUCATOR?
“When I use a word, it means just what I
choose it to mean – neither more nor less.”
-Humpty Dumpty
From Lewis Caroll's Alice in Wonderland
TH A NK S
for listening folks!
 TAGES OF
S

CHILD LANGUAGE
ACQUISITION
 Arrange the
Jumbled Letters
 HIDLC
GUAGLEAN
QUIISTOINA
 CHILD
LANGUAGE
ACQUISITION
NEMATISC
SEMANTIC
XCOMLPE
COMPLEX
Introduction
Language development begins from the very
first day after birth.
Every child acquires a language as a native
language with equal ease.
Languages are acquired in the predictable
stages as the behavior develops.
Introduction
Acquiring language is like learning a game.
Children also learn to improve and enhance
their behavior to be a good member of
society.
How does a child learn his/her
languages well in such a short
time? And what is the course of
language learning?

Developmental Psycholinguistics, has

attempted to answer these questions over
the past 30 years, and also provided us with
considerable insight into the how and why
of the first language acquisition (Kess,
1992).
Historical Overview
A
Diary studies: (from 1877- 1930)
Language development is being studied through
diary studies by recording the speech of a child. .

B
Large sample studies: (from 1930- 1957)
Instead of collecting data of a single child they collect
data from a large number of children at a certain stage.

C
Linguistic Studies: (from 1957 onwards)
Instead of focusing just on the utterance of a
child, they tried to understand the rules
behind it.
 Basic Requirement
Stork and Widdowson (1974) points out two important factors involved
in language acquisition:

Firstly, an innate human potential for the

acquisition of a language.
Secondly, a linguistic environment for a
child stimulated by linguistic input.
 Main Stages of
Child Language Acquisition
The Pre-linguistic Period Birth - 10 months

The Holophrastic Period 12 months - 18 months

The Telegraphic Period 2 years - 3 years

The Complex Period 3 years - 5 years

 PRELINGUISTIC PERIOD:
(Birth- 10 months)
From the moment of birth, a child discriminates speech from other
sounds and start discovering phonemes.

FIRST 5 MONTHS:
Start crying or producing sounds in order to convey several pieces of
information. (Hunger cry, Angry cry, Pain cry)
Cooing starts in response to pleasure. This is a universal stage.

6 MONTHS:
Babbling stage, producing syllables like ba-ba-ba.
 PRELINGUISTIC PERIOD:
(Birth- 10 months)
From the moment of birth, a child discriminates speech from other
sounds and start discovering phonemes.

9 - 12 MONTHS:
Start using intonation patterns and also rephrase babble that seems as
if they are words. e.g. baba, mama, dada etc.
 HOLOPHRASTIC PERIOD
(12 months-18 months)

12 MONTHS:
Single word phrase stage. Communication done with single words in
order to convey complex messages.
Naming person, object and places like cookie, dog etc.
Vocabulary moved to 30 words.
Improved pronunciation.
Say ‘no’ meaningfully.
Start understanding what is being said like ‘come here’, ‘stop it’ etc.
 TELEGRAPHIC PERIOD
( 2 years - 3 years)

2 YEARS:
Two word phrase stage. Child uses minimum words to convey the
meaning of a whole sentence
Lack of function words in communication but recites familiar
nursery rhymes.

30 MONTHS:
Start acquiring rules of syntax.
Demonstrating semantic relations with two words. e.g.
SEMANTIC
RELATIONS
EXAMPLES
Agent + Action Mumma sit
Agent + Object Papa car
Action + Object Eat mango
Action + Location Go park
Object + Location Teddy floor
 COMPLEX PERIOD
(3 years – 5 years)

5 YEARS:
Acquisition becomes slow but vocabulary continues to grow.
Developing morphology: start using functional words.
Overgeneralization of rules: the child applies –s to the words like
‘feet’ or ‘mans’.
Developing syntax: start forming complex sentences.
-Forming wh- questions like what, where, who, when etc.
-Forming negative sentences. e.g. I was not eating Pizza.
 COMPLEX PERIOD
(3 years – 5 years)

5 YEARS:
Developing semantics: overextend the meaning of a word on the
basis of shape and size.
Example:
use ball to refer to all round things like an apple, an egg or a grape.
 Conclusion
There is no clear-cut answer as to how language
acquisition takes place.
Language acquisition tends to run parallel to
physical development. Though there is no
correlation between these two.
 Conclusion
Generally, babbling occurs around the time when the
baby begins to sit up. They utter a single word just before
they start to walk. Grammar becomes complex when
hands and fingers co- ordination develops.
 ASSESSMENT
In three to five sentences, write what have you learned
about stages in child language acquisition.
Thank you for
listening!
Don't hesitate to ask any questions!