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Stages of First Language (L1) Acquisition

We are designed to walk…That we are taught to walk is impossible. And pretty much the same is true of language. Nobody is taught language. In fact you can’t prevent the child from learning it.

- Noam ChomskyThe Human Language Series 2 (1994)

Why Do We Call it Acquisition?

Learning Intentional process Presupposes a teacher, teaching Teacher controls pace

Acquisition Subconscious process Does not presuppose a teacher Child controls pace

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Overview

What are the conditions necessary for acquisition

Stages of first language acquisition

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Conditions for Learning/Acquisition

Speech production and comprehension Making associations

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Speech Production & Comprehension

Production vs. Comprehension What’s the difference?

Production = SpeakingComprehension = Listening + understanding

Speech production is NOT necessary for acquisition

Comprehension IS necessary for acquisition All healthy children learn to understand and

produce language

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Speech Production & Comprehension

Children understand more language than they can produce

All learners understand more words than they can produce

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Making Associations 1

Only hearing speech does not guarantee learning

Children must be able to make an association between what they hear and the meaning of the message

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Making Associations 2

Vocabulary: hot A child doesn’t learn the word just by hearing it,

but must also experience heat to make an association between the sound and the thing that sound represents.

Grammar: Daddy’s sleeping A child learns the present progressive by making

an association between the action observed and the grammar used

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Stages of First Language Learning

Pre-babbling or Cooing Babbling One-word (Naming) Two-word Telegraphic (Two and three-word utterances) Transformational

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Pre-babbling: Before birth

Babies pay attention to voices starting three months before they are born.

Babies can differentiate between voices & prefer their mother’s voice to other voices.

Pre-babbling: After birth

Babies soon learn to recognize their mother’s face and voice within 2 weeks after birth. They make an association between the two.

Babies continue listening to speech. During the first few months they make vowel sounds and

other non-speech noises (e.g. sounds that show pleasure & pain).

Babies learn that different sounds lead to certain behaviors by their mothers (and thus have different meanings). Crying Laughing

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Babbling

Babies begin to make word-like sounds around 6 months (goo goo, gaa gaa)

All babies make similar sounds Cannot distinguish between a Japanese baby’s

babbling and an American baby’s Babbling is not associated with any meaning

Mama is a common sound, but in this stage it is made at any time, any place, for any reason, and is not directed at the mother.

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Purpose of Babbling

Preparation for speech (words) Opportunity to practice and play with sounds

Vocal muscles and tongue are developing and giving the child more control of oral production

Naming (One-word utterances) 1

Recognize names of familiar objects and people Daddy, key, cookie, dog

Responds to requests Give it to me.

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One-word (Naming)10-18 months

Babies say their first word around 10 months First words not very clear

Same sounds as babbling, but there is a clear association Mama is used only when the baby’s mother is

present

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Features of Naming Stage

Babies only use one-word utterances Babies mostly use words to name things One-word utterances can communicate more

complex ideas Mama could mean

Come here mommy.That’s my mommy.Where is mommy?

Rate of Vocabulary Development

MilestoneNelson 1973 (18 children)

Fenson 1993(1,789 children)

10 words15 months (range 13-19)

13 months(range 8-16)

50 words20 months(range 14-24)

17 months(range 10-24)

Vocabulary at 24 months186 words(range 28-436)

310 words(range 41-668)

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Telegraphic (2 to 3-word utterances)

Starts when babies are about 2 years old Understands two part commands

Get your socks and put them in the basket.

Understands contrasting meanings Hot & cold Stop & go

Vocabulary exploding A few words to 200 – 300 words

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2 and 3-word Utterances

Child Utterances Possible Meanings Possible Purpose

Want cookie. I want a cookie. Request

Joe see. I (Joe) see you. Informing

No sleep. I don't want to go to sleep Refusal

Where doll? Where is the doll? Question

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Features of 2 and 3-word Utterances

Variety of purposes Usually only contains content words

Words that express meaning

Word order is grammatically correct

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Transformational stage

Begins when children are 2.5 to 3 years old Utterances become more complex Begin to use grammatical morphemes

Prepositions: in, on, for, etc. Plural endings: a cat vs. three cats Verb endings: I play vs. I played

Learning Morphemes

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Morphemes

Order cannot be explained by frequency Expect the most common to be learned first Most common not learned first

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Morphemes

Morphemes that are easy to learn are Easy to hear Easily connected to a meaning

Morphemes that are not easy to learn Don’t affect the meaning of the utterance Aren’t easy to hear

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Stages of First Language Acquisition - Summary

Conditions for acquisition Speech production and comprehension Making associations

Stages of first language acquisition Pre-babbling Babbling Naming (One-word utterances) Telegraphic (Two- and three-word utterances) Transformational