What is language
List all the modes of language
Reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, visually representing.
Name the two categories into which language theories fall into
Nature vs Nurture OR
Nativist vs Empiricist
Which is the study of the smallest units of meaning Phonemes or Morphemes?
Morphemes
Define bilingualism
Fluency in two (or more) langauges
State two factors that can negatively affect language and literacy development
Factors affecting language and literacy development:
socio-economic status, environment, number of children in the family, speech impediments, health issues, vision impairments, hearing impairments, emotional factors, social factors, limited background experiences, other
Give a definition of language
A method or system of communication by humans of a particular community or country, consisting of words used in a structured and conventional way and conveyed by speech, writing, or gesture (Oxford University Press)
Name any two theorists of language development and state the names of their theories
Chomsky - Innateness
Skinner - Behaviorism
Piaget - Cognitivist
Vygotsky - Interactionist
The study of language use and the ways in which speakers use language in context is referred to as ___
Pragmatics
State one benefit of bilingualism
enables brain flexibility
facilitates better problem solving skills
promotes higher levels of abstract thought
List five activities that can be used to develop children's language skills
Show and Tell, Virtual field trip/nature walk, author's chair, question and answer session, story telling, Readers' Theatre, Other
Define speaking
the ability to orally use words to convey ideas, thoughts, feelings
Which theory views language acquisition as a stage process where children's mental activity improves with maturation. A child will not acquire language or be able to use the language unless and until he/she understands the concepts
Cognitivist theory
This function of language involves the use of language used to acquire knowledge, to learn about the environment. It is often conveyed in the form of questions that will lead to answers
Heuristic
State one phonological difference between SJE and JC
Pitch: In JC pitch makes the different in question; SJE uses question words
Pronunciation: In JC the sounds of vowels A and O are sometimes switched in words; also JC uses blends that do not exist in SJE e.g. bw (bwile)
Stress: In JC almost all syllables are stressed for emphasis (sometimes make the language appear to be aggressive).
List at least three drama-related activities that can be used to develop children's language skills
Role play
Puppetry
Dramatic story telling
How does reading contribute to language development?
Reading is the ability to decode written symbols in print and derive meaning from such print symbols; reading contributes to language in that when a child reads he/she learns words from the print which will add to his/her vocabulary and which he/she can use during speaking and writing.
List any three components (tenets or beliefs) of the interactionist theory of language acquisition
Social interaction (children need to socialize and communicate to learn language)
Environment (the environment must be conducive to learning language via the people or other stimulus e.g. print, interactive activities etc)
Support and scaffold (a support system to extend, expand and correct language will facilitate appropriate language develoopment)
Identify and state one of Michael Halliday's function of language that begins with the letter P
Personal: allows a speaker to express feelings, emotions, personality
Tell one method/strategy that is generally used to facilitate mastery of the SJE.
Immersion
Contrastive analysis
Modelling
Providing scaffolding and support
Outline three benefits of children's literature in enhancing children's language and literacy skills
Provides a model of writing (they see story pattern and model in their own writing)
expands vocabulary knowledge that can be used in speaking and writing (increases language acquisition)
provides students with vicarious experiences that they can add to their background knowledge and will enable meaningful engagement in conversations with others
Define listening and say how it contributes to language development
Listening is the ability to hear and attend to sounds and words in language and the environment in general; listening contributes to language in that when a child listens he/she will hear words which he/she will then use in conversations.
What is LAD and what perspective does the LAD theory follow?
Language Acquisition Device (LAD), an organ that enables humans to understand and develop language. Once young children are exposed to language, this organ activates and allows the child to understand the language they are being exposed to. This is the innateness perspective
Name and explain two of Halliday's function of language that begins with the letter R
Regulatory: Language used to influence the behaviour of others. Concerned with persuading / commanding / requesting other people to do things you want.
Representational: Language used to exchange information. Concerned with relaying or requesting information
Explain the method of language instruction where the child hears only the target language and tell what may interfere with this method
This is referred to as immersion. During instruction the teacher uses only the target language (SJE).
Code-switching may interfere with this method
How does play develop language?
Many play activities require children to speak to others, sing songs or say a jingle before and/or during the play activity. The jingles are grammatically correct in structure and this provides a model for the students. For example in the game "Mother may I" children are required to use formal structured phrases in asking questions and the response also requires structurally sound responses