Unit 1:

Language Development in Children

By: Ms. Nisha Upadhyay
Assistant professor & Clinical Psychologist

Early Abilities (Birth to 1 Year)

 Immediately After Birth (Neonatal Stage):
o Newborns can detect where sounds are coming from and show
an orientation to auditory stimuli.
o They are able to discriminate between sounds based on:

 Frequency (high vs. low pitch),

 Intensity (loud vs. soft),
 Duration (long vs. short),
 Tempo (fast vs. slow).
 Towards the End of the First Year:
o Infants develop the ability to differentiate the individual sounds
(phonemes) of their native language.
o They can recognize and distinguish between similar sounding
words (e.g., cat vs. bat), demonstrating increasing phonological
awareness.

2. Prelinguistic Speech Stages

Before producing actual words, infants pass through the following prelinguistic
stages of vocalization:
1. Undifferentiated Crying:
 o Occurs soon after birth.

o All cries sound similar regardless of the cause.

2. Differentiated Crying:
o Infants begin to vary their cries to signal different needs (e.g.,
hunger, discomfort).
3. Cooing (6–8 weeks):
o Involves vowel-like sounds (e.g., “ooo”, “ahh”) indicating comfort
and contentment.
4. Babbling (4–6 months):
o Repetitive consonant-vowel combinations (e.g., “ba-ba”, “da-da”).

o Occurs across languages and includes a variety of sounds.

5. Lallation (6–9 months):

o Imitative babbling—babies begin to repeat sounds they hear from
adults, though imperfectly.
6. Imitation of Sounds:
o Better coordination of mouth muscles; more accurate imitation of
familiar speech sounds.
7. Expressive Jargon (9–12 months):
o Babbling takes on the intonation and rhythm of real speech,
though it lacks meaning.
o Appears like the child is speaking a foreign language.

3. Components of Language Development

To become effective communicators, children must master four key language
skills:
1. Comprehension:
o Understanding what others say, often develops before expressive
speech.
2. Pronunciation:
o Ability to produce sounds clearly enough to be understood.

3. Expressive Vocabulary:
o Building a mental dictionary of words the child can use
meaningfully.
4. Meaningful Sentence Formation:
 o Combining words according to grammar rules to express complex
thoughts.

4. Stages of Speech Development

1 Year – One-Word Stage (Holophrastic Speech):
 Child uses a single word to express a complete idea.
 Example: Saying “out” might mean:
o “I want to go out.”

o “Mom went out.”

 Interpretation depends on context and tone.

2 Years – Multiword Sentences (Telegraphic Speech):

 Child combines two or more words.
 Sentences usually contain only key content words (nouns and verbs),
omitting smaller grammatical words.
 Example: “Me go” (instead of “I want to go”).
 Called telegraphic speech because it resembles telegrams with only
essential words.

3 Years – Emerging Grammar:

 Vocabulary expands to around 900 words.
 Sentences become longer and more grammatically structured.
 Use of different parts of speech begins (nouns, verbs, adjectives).
 Overgeneralization of grammar rules is common (e.g., “goed” instead
of “went”).

3–4 Years:
 Sentences usually consist of 3–4 words.
 Language still has a telegraphic quality but improving.
 Child asks many questions and understands/follows simple
instructions.
 Vocabulary grows to 900–1200 words.
 Developing understanding of basic sentence structure.
4–5 Years:
 Sentences average 4–5 words.
 Use of prepositions becomes accurate (e.g., “on,” “under,” “behind”).
 Begin using verbs more than nouns.
 Vocabulary increases to 1500–2000 words.
 Speech is more fluid and increasingly social in nature.
 Ability to hold simple conversations.

5–6 Years:
 Sentences contain 6–8 words.
 Use of conjunctions, articles, and prepositions becomes frequent.
 Able to define simple words and understand opposites.
 Vocabulary: 2000–2500 words.
 Speech becomes fairly grammatical, though some errors remain.
 Language is less self-focused (egocentric) and more interactive
(socialized).

6–7 Years:
 Speech becomes sophisticated and grammatically correct.
 Can form complex and compound sentences.
 Use of all parts of speech is well-established.
 Vocabulary expands to 3000–4000 words.
 Can communicate clearly, narrate stories, and express thoughts fluently.

5. Piaget’s View on Preschool Language

Jean Piaget categorized early speech into two types:
1. Egocentric Speech:
o Speech not intended for communication.

o Includes:

 Monologue: Talking to oneself for pleasure.

 Collective Monologue: Talking in the presence of others
without actual interaction.
2. Socialized Speech:
 o True communication with others.

o Involves listening, responding, and engaging in reciprocal

conversation.

6. Continued Language Development (After Age 4)

 Children begin to use:
o Longer, complex sentences

o Correct word order and grammar

 Challenges remain with:

o Passive voice (e.g., “The toy was taken”),

o Perfect tenses (e.g., “I have eaten”),

o Conditional sentences (e.g., “If I were you…”)

 Mastery of advanced syntax continues through middle childhood (age 9

and beyond).
 Egocentric speech gradually decreases; language becomes more social
and logical.

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🌟 Language Development –

1. Early Language Sensitivity (Birth to 1 Year)

 Understanding before Speaking:
Children develop the ability to understand language before they can
express it through speech.
 Few Minutes After Birth:
Infants can already locate the source of a sound shortly after birth.
  Sound Discrimination:
Newborns can distinguish between different sounds based on:
o Frequency (pitch),

o Intensity (loudness),

o Duration (length of time),

o Tempo (speed).

2. Phoneme Discrimination (Around 1 Year)

 Language-Specific Sound Recognition:
By the end of the first year, babies can distinguish individual sounds of
their native language.
 Word Differentiation:
They are able to tell the difference between pairs of words that differ in
just the initial sound, such as "cat" and "bat".

3. Prelinguistic Speech Stages (Before First Real Word)

Infants pass through various stages before uttering meaningful words:
1. Undifferentiated Crying:
Crying that does not vary based on needs.
2. Differentiated Crying:
Crying starts to vary to express specific needs or feelings (e.g., hunger,
pain).
3. Cooing:
Soft vowel-like sounds that show pleasure and comfort.
4. Babbling:
Repetition of consonant-vowel combinations (e.g., "ba-ba", "da-da").
5. Lallation:
Imperfect imitation of sounds heard from others.
6. Imitation:
Attempt to mimic the actual sounds spoken by others.
7. Expressive Jargon:
Long strings of babble with the intonation and rhythm of speech,
although without actual meaning.

4. Real Communication – Core Abilities

To achieve real communication, children need to develop these four major
abilities:
 1. Comprehension – Understanding spoken language.
2. Pronouncing Legibly – Clear articulation of speech.
3. Expressive Vocabulary – Ability to use a variety of meaningful words.
4. Meaningful Sentences – Forming logical and grammatically correct
sentence structures.

5. Stages of Meaningful Speech

a. One-Word Sentence (Around 1 Year)
 The child says a single word like “out” to convey complex meanings such
as:
o “I want to go out” or

o “Mom went out.”

 The meaning is interpreted based on context.

b. Multiword Sentence (Around 2 Years)

 Child begins to string two or more words together.
 Example: “Me go”.
 Speech contains mainly nouns and verbs (telegraphic speech).
 Function words like articles, prepositions, and auxiliary verbs are
usually missing.

c. Grammatically Correct Speech (Around 3 Years)

 Vocabulary grows to about 900 words.
 Children start using:
o Longer sentences,

o All parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.).

 Begin to understand grammatical rules, but may overgeneralize:

o E.g., saying “we goed to the store” instead of “we went”.

6. Language Between 3 and 7 Years

3–4 Years
 Use 3–4 word sentences (still somewhat telegraphic).
 Ask many questions.
  Can give and follow simple commands.
 Vocabulary increases to around 900–1200 words.

4–5 Years
 Sentences grow to 4–5 words.
 Use of prepositions like “over,” “under,” “in,” “on,” “behind.”
 Verbs are used more than nouns.
 Vocabulary expands to 1500–2000 words.

5–6 Years
 Sentences expand to 6–8 words.
 Can:
o Define simple words,

o Identify opposites (e.g., hot–cold).

 Use more:
o Conjunctions (and, but),

o Prepositions, and

o Articles (a, an, the).

 Speech is mostly grammatical, though some rules are still not mastered.
 Language becomes less egocentric and more social.
 Vocabulary ranges from 2000 to 2500 words.

6–7 Years
 Speech becomes:
o Sophisticated,

o Grammatically correct, and

o Includes compound and complex sentences.

 Children now use all parts of speech confidently.

 Vocabulary expands to 3000–4000 words.

7. Piaget’s Classification of Preschool Speech

Egocentric Speech
  Involves:
o Monologue: Repeating words or talking to oneself for enjoyment.

o Collective Monologue: Children talking at the same time without

real interaction.
Socialized Speech
 Involves two-way communication.
 Children respond to each other and attempt to convey meaning to
others.

8. Grammatical Growth and Syntax Understanding

 From age 4 onward, children start forming:
o Longer, more complex sentences.

o Use more complicated grammar.

 However, certain forms are rarely used in early school years:

o Passive voice (e.g., “The ball was thrown”),

o Verbs using the form “have” (e.g., “has eaten”),

o Conditional sentences (e.g., “If you were to do this, I would…”).

 Understanding of syntax and grammar becomes increasingly refined up

to and even after age 9.
 During this time, egocentric speech declines, and communication
becomes more social and purposeful.
भाषा विकास –

1. प्रारंभिक भाषा समझ (जन्म से 1 वर्ष तक)

 बोलने से पहले समझना:
बच्चे भाषा को समझना पहले सीखते हैं, फिर बोलना शुरू करते हैं।
 जन्म के कुछ ही मिनटों में:
नवजात शिशु यह पहचान सकते हैं कि ध्वनि कहां से आ रही है।
 ध्वनि में अंतर समझना:
बच्चे ध्वनियों में अंतर कर सकते हैं, जैसे:
o फ्रीक्वेंसी (pitch),

o तीव्रता (loudness),

o अवधि (duration),

o गति या टेम्पो (tempo)।

2. एक वर्ष की आयु तक – ध्वनि पहचान क्षमता
 भाषा-विशिष्ट ध्वनि पहचान:
लगभग एक वर्ष की उम्र तक बच्चे अपनी मातृभाषा की विशिष्ट ध्वनियों को
पहचानना सीख जाते हैं।
 शब्दों में भेद करना:
वे उन शब्दों में भी अंतर कर सकते हैं जो सिर्फ प्रारंभिक ध्वनि में अलग
होते हैं, जैसे – कैट और बैट।

3. प्राभाषिक (Prelinguistic) चरण – पहले शब्द से पहले

बच्चे पहले वास्तविक शब्द बोलने से पहले निम्नलिखित चरणों से गुजरते हैं:
1. अविभाजित रोना (Undifferentiated Crying):
हर स्थिति में एक जैसा रोना।
2. विभाजित रोना (Differentiated Crying):
अलग-अलग कारणों के लिए रोने में अंतर आने लगता है।
3. कूइंग (Cooing):
"ऊँ", "आह" जैसे ध्वनि निकालना।
4. बेब्लिंग (Babbling):
“बा-ба”, “दा-दा” जैसे दोहराव वाले ध्वनियाँ।
5. लल्लेशन (Lallation):
सुनकर अनुपूर्ण अनुकरण करना।
6. अनुकरण (Imitation):
दूसरों की आवाज़ों की सही नकल करने की कोशिश।
7. एक्सप्रेसिव जार्गन (Expressive Jargon):
बड़बड़ाहट जिसमें बोलने का लहजा होता है लेकिन अर्थ नहीं होता।

4. वास्तविक संप्रेषण (Real Communication) के लिए आवश्यक कौशल

1. समझना (Comprehension) – दूसरों की बात समझना।
2. साफ़ बोलना (Pronunciation) – स्पष्ट उच्चारण करना।
3. शब्दावली (Vocabulary) – नए-नए शब्दों को जानना और प्रयोग करना।
4. सार्थक वाक्य (Meaningful Sentences) – व्याकरण के अनुसार वाक्य
बनाना।

5. सार्थक भाषा के विकास के चरण

🍼 1 वर्ष – एक शब्द वाक्य (One-word Sentence)
 बच्चा एक शब्द जैसे "बाहर" बोलता है, जिसका अर्थ हो सकता है:
 o "मैं बाहर जाना चाहता हूँ"

o या "मम्मी बाहर गईं"।

 अर्थ परिस्थिति पर निर्भर करता है।

👶 2 वर्ष – बहु-शब्द वाक्य (Multiword Sentence)

 बच्चे दो या अधिक शब्द जोड़ते हैं।
 उदाहरण: "मैं जाऊँ।"
 टेलीग्राफिक भाषा, जिसमें केवल मुख्य शब्द होते हैं – संज्ञा व क्रिया।

🧒 3 वर्ष – व्याकरणिक वाक्य

 लगभग 900 शब्दों का शब्द भंडार।
 सभी शब्द प्रकारों का प्रयोग करते हैं।
 व्याकरण के नियमों को समझते हैं, लेकिन अक्सर अत्यधिक सामान्यीकरण करते
हैं:
o जैसे – "हम स्टोर गए" की जगह "हम स्टोर गएद" (we goed)।

6. भाषा विकास – 3 से 7 वर्ष

3–4 वर्ष
 3–4 शब्दों के वाक्य।
 कई सवाल पूछते हैं, और आदेश समझते व देते हैं।
 शब्द भंडार: 900–1200 शब्द।

4–5 वर्ष
 वाक्य लंबाई: 4–5 शब्द।
 Over, under, in, on, behind जैसे पूर्वसर्गों (prepositions) का
प्रयोग।
 क्रियाओं का प्रयोग अधिक होता है।
 शब्द भंडार: 1500–2000 शब्द।

5–6 वर्ष
 वाक्य लंबाई: 6–8 शब्द।
 सरल शब्दों की परिभाषा दे सकते हैं और विलोम शब्द समझते हैं।
 Conjunctions, prepositions, articles का प्रयोग बढ़ता है।
  व्याकरण लगभग सही लेकिन कभी-कभी नियमों की उपेक्षा होती है।
 भाषा कम आत्मकेन्द्रित (egocentric) और अधिक सामाजिक होती है।
 शब्द भंडार: 2000–2500 शब्द।

6–7 वर्ष
 भाषा परिष्कृत, व्याकरणिक और जटिल वाक्यों वाली हो जाती है।
 सभी शब्द प्रकारों का सही प्रयोग।
 शब्द भंडार: 3000–4000 शब्द।

7. पियाजे का भाषण वर्गीकरण (Piaget’s Speech Classification)

आत्मकेंद्रित भाषण (Egocentric Speech)
 स्वयं से बोलना या
 सामूहिक एकालाप (बच्चे साथ बोलते हैं लेकिन आपसी संप्रेषण नहीं होता)।
सामाजिक भाषण (Socialized Speech)
 द्विदिश संप्रेषण (Two-way communication)।
 दूसरों की बात का उत्तर देना और बातचीत में सहभागिता।

8. व्याकरणिक विकास (Grammar & Syntax Development)

 4 वर्ष की आयु के बाद:
o लंबे वाक्य और

o जटिल व्याकरण का प्रयोग बढ़ता है।

 लेकिन कुछ रूपों का प्रयोग अभी भी कम होता है:

o Passive voice,

o “Have” वाले क्रिया रूप,

o Conditional sentences (यदि तुम ऐसा करते, तो मैं…).

 Syntax की समझ उम्र के साथ बढ़ती है, यहां तक कि 9 वर्ष के बाद तक भी।
 इस अवधि में आत्मकेंद्रिक भाषा घटती है और भाषा अधिक सामाजिक और
परिपक्व हो जाती है।