DEVELOPMENT

OF LANGUAGE
AND LANGUAGE
USE
HARSHITA SEHRAWAT (2092)
MEANING AND NATURE OF
LEARNING
What would have happened if we did not have a language to express whatever we wanted to say?
In the absence of language we will not be able to communicate our ideas and feelings, nor will have the
opportunity to know or have access to what others think and feel.
Initially we learn to communicate in the language being used at home (usually the mother-tongue), go to school
and learn the formal language of instruction (in many cases this language is different from the mother-tongue),
and get promoted to higher grades and learn other languages.

LANGUAGE: a system for communicating

A set of symbols that convey meaning, and rules for combining those symbols, that can be used to generate an
infinite variety of messages.
Language is a social and uniquely human means of representing, exploring, and communicating meaning..

Language has three basic characteristics:

(a) the presence of symbols,
(b) a set of rules to organize these symbols, and
(c) communication.
1. SYMBOLS 3

The first characteristic of language is that it involves symbols. Symbols represent

something or someone else. We use symbols while thinking.
For example, the place where you live is called ‘home’, the place where you study is
called ‘school’, the thing that you eat is called ‘food’.
Words like home, school, food, and numerous other words do not in themselves
carry any meaning. When these words are associated with some objects/ events they
attain meaning and we begin recognizing those objects/events, etc. with particular
words (symbols).
 2. RULES TO ORGANIZE
SYMBOLS
The second characteristic of language is that it involves rules. While combining two
or more words we usually follow a definite and accepted order of presenting these
words. For example, one would most likely say “I am going to school” and not
“school am going I”.

3. Communication
The third characteristic of language is that it is used for communicating one’s
thought, ideas, intentions, and feelings to others.
On many occasions we communicate through the use of our body parts, called
GESTURES or postures. This type of communication is called NON-VERBAL
COMMUNICATION.
Some people who cannot use oral speech, like the ones with severe hearing and
speech problems, communicate through signs.
SIGN LANGUAGE is also a form of language.
DEVELOPMENT OF
LANGUAGE
Psychologists have tried to teach sign language, use of symbols to chimpanzees, dolphins,
parrots, etc. But it is observed that, human language is more complex, creative, and
spontaneous than the system of communication other animals can learn.
There is also a great deal of regularity with which children all over the world seem to be
learning the language or languages to which they are exposed.
A general view of children’s acquisition of language all over the world find some predictable
pattern in which children proceed from almost no use of language to the point of becoming
competent language users.
BEHAVIOURIST B.F. SKINNER believed humans learn language the same way as animals
learn to pick keys or press bars. Language development, for the behaviourists follow the
learning principles, such as association (the sight of bottle with the word ‘bottle’), imitation
(adults use of word “bottle”), and reinforcement (smiles and hugs when the child says
something right).
There is also evidence that children produce sounds that are appropriate to a language of the
parent or care-giver and are reinforced for having done so.
THE PRINCIPLE OF SHAPING LEADS TO SUCCESSIVE APPROXIMATION OF THE
DESIRED RESPONSES SO THAT THE CHILD EVENTUALLY SPEAKS AS WELL AS
THE ADULT.
Regional differences in pronunciation and phrasing illustrate how different patterns are
reinforced in different areas.
DEVELOPMENT OF
LANGUAGE
LINGUIST NOAM CHOMSKY put forth the innate proposition of
development of language.
For him the rate at which children acquire words and grammar without
being taught can not be explained only by learning principles.
Children also create all sorts of sentences they have never heard and,
therefore, could not be imitating.
Children throughout the world seem to have a critical period — a period
when learning must occur if it is to occur successfully — for learning
language.
Children across the world also go through the same stages of language
development.
Chomsky believes language development is just like physical maturation-
given adequate care, it “just happens to the child”.
Children are born with “universal grammar”. They readily learn the
grammar of whatever language they hear.
DEVELOPMENT OF LANGUAGE
7

NEWBORN
SIX MONTHS OF NINE MONTHS THIRD
BABIES FIRST BIRTHDAY
AGE OF AGE BIRTHDAY
Most children enter the
Make a variety of sounds, Babbling involves The sounds get Beyond two-and-a-half
one-word-stage. Their
The first sound produced prolonged repetition of a elaborated to strings of first word usually contains
years, children’s language
by babies is CRYING. variety of consonants and some sound one syllable – ma or da, development gets focused
Initial crying is vowel sounds (for combinations, such as for instance. Gradually on rules of the language
undifferentiated and example, da—, aa—, ba ‘dadadadadada’ into they move to one or more they hear.
similar across various —). repetitive patterns called words which are
situations. Gradually, the ECHOLALIA. While combined to form whole
pattern of crying varies in the early babblings are sentences or phrases. So
its pitch and intensity to random or accidental in they are called
signify different states nature, the later babblings HOLOPHRASES. When
such as hunger, pain, and seem to be imitative of they are 18 to 20 months
sleepiness, etc. These adult voices. of age, children enter a
differentiated crying two-word stage and begin
sounds gradually become to use two words together.
more meaningful cooing The two-word stage
sounds (like ‘aaa’, ‘uuu’, exemplifies
etc.) usually to express TELEGRAPHIC
happiness. SPEECH. Like telegrams
(got admission, send
money) it contains mostly
nouns and verbs.
 8

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
TWO:
B.F SKINNER NOAM CHOMSKY
Skinner’s emphasis on learning explains why Chomsky’s emphasis on our built-in readiness
infants acquire the language they hear and how to learn grammar helps explain why children
they add new words to their vocabularies. acquire language so readily without direct
teaching.
BILINGUALISM AND 9

MULTILINGUALISM
BILINGUALISM refers to attaining proficiency in communicating through
any two languages.
Learning of more than two languages is referred to as MULTILINGUALISM.
The term mother tongue has been variously defined as one’s native language,
the language spoken by the individual from the cradle.
The mother tongue is viewed as a language with which one identifies at the
emotional level. It is possible for individuals to have multiple mother tongues.
The Indian social context is characterized by grass root multilingualism which
makes bi/multilingualism a characteristic at the levels of individual as well as
society.
Most Indians use more than one language to communicate in various domains
of their daily life activities.
Thus, multilingualism is a way of life in India. Studies reveal that bilingualism/
multilingualism facilitates cognitive, linguistic, and academic competence of
children.
 LANGUAGE USE 10

Language use involves knowing socially appropriate ways of communication.

Knowledge of vocabulary and syntax of a language does not ensure proper use of
language to achieve the purpose of communication in a variety of social situations.
When we use language we have various pragmatic intentions such as requesting,
asking, thanking, demanding, etc.
In order to effectively serve these social goals, language use must be pragmatically
correct or contextually appropriate besides being grammatical and meaningful.
Children often have difficulty with choice of appropriate utterances for politeness
or for requests and their use of language conveys a demand or a command instead
of a polite request.
When children are engaged in conversations, they also have difficulty in taking
turns in speaking and listening like adults.
SYNTAX: Refers to the rules for combining words to form acceptable phrases and
sentences.
PROGMATICS- Appropriate use of language in context; can be very complex
 THANK
YOU
HARSHITA SEHRAWAT (2092)

In case of any doubts, please do not refer to me. Even better, do not
perceive me. For practical purposes, I do not exist.