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Childhood Language Acquisition
Stages
Theories
Key terms
Random topics
100
Childhood language acquisition is likely a combination of what two processes? (hint: both start with I!)
IMITATION and INSTINCT
100

What is the first stage of CLA?

Pre-verbal/Babbling stage

100

What are the three main theories behind CLA?

Behaviourism, Innatism, Interactionism

100

What is a function word?

conjunctions, determiners, etc.

100

Name one type of 'register' used in English Language?

Frozen, Formal, Consultative, Casual, Intimate

200
Summarize Noam Chomsky's theory of "universal grammar."
The ability to learn grammar is hard-wired into the brain.
200

What stage do children first use verbs?

Two-word stage
200

Which theory did Chomsky support?

Innatism - concluded that children must have an inborn faculty for language acquisition

200

What is final consonant omission? Provide an example

Not saying the final syllable in a word - e.g. fa instead of fall.

200

What does metalanguage mean?

language that describes language

300
What is parentese?
The special version of a language used by adults to speak to small children. **BONUS: who else do we tend to speak "parentese" to?
300

What words do children use first - content or function words? Give one example

Content words - nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.

300

What is 'parentese'? Which theory supports its use?

baby talk - Interactionalism

300

What is elision? Provide an example.

Elision is the omission of sounds, syllables or words in speech. This is done to make the language easier to say, and faster. E.g. tink or ting

300

What is the Fis phenomenon?

Fis phenomenon is a phenomenon during a child's language acquisition that demonstrates that perception of phonemes occurs earlier than a child's ability to produce the appropriate sound. 

400
What is the critical age hypothesis?
There is a "critical age" for children to learn a language with native fluency; past that age, learning a new language becomes increasingly difficult.
400

"Go daddy" would like be said by a child in which stage?

Two-word stage

400

What is the difference between the Behaviour Theory and the Interactionalist Theory?

Behaviorists believe that children learn language directly from experiences with their environment. The Interactionist Theory – Explains that neither biology nor behavior alone shape language, but a combination of the two

400

What is an overgeneralisation? Provide an example

Using a word too broadly. E.g. calling every four legged animal a dog

400

What is an example of children overgeneralising grammar?

Past tense - goed instead of went
500
How many words does the average eighteen-year-old high school graduate use on a regular basis?
60,000!
500

What are the first two inflections that emerge in children? Think about the 'Wug' phenomenon.

-ing on verbs and -s for nouns

500

Who is Genie? What does she teach us about CLA?

Genie's case supports Skinner's theory. Because she was not exposed to language, she was unable to produce it normally. When Genie was locked up in the room, there were a lot of things she was missing which could help her to develop language acquisition

500

What is an undergeneralisation? Provide an example

Using a word in a narrow fashion. For example, only using dog to describe your pet.

500

What does Piaget argue about child language acquisition?

Piaget argues it is dependent on a child's mental or cognitive development. He argued that a child has to understand a concept before s/he can acquire the particular language form which expresses that concept