Child Development Stages and Language Acquisition
Child Development Through Play
Sensory Period (0-2 Years)
The child begins to develop the ability to play. Play reflects an activity stimulated by sounds, colors, movements, and textures. Play is a fundamental sensory-motor pleasure. It is characterized by repetition, practice, exploration, manipulation, and touching of sensitive areas. The receiver (sucks, touches, smells, looks, handles) is attracted to toys.
Preoperational Period (2-7 Years)
Repeated actions become habitual and are then projected onto objects. The child observes and imitates adult behavior. Initially, play is solitary, but later, other peers may join in.
Concrete Operational Period (7-11 Years)
Egocentrism disappears, and logical intelligence appears. Play becomes formal, and moral judgment emerges. Peer support is important, with the possibility of changing rules in the next game. Competitive and cooperative play appears.
Abstract Operational Period (11+ Years)
Abstract thinking appears, along with formal scientific role-play and complex reasoning. Games remain competitive. Cooperative play is recognized as important, as is individual educational play. Play motivates active, spontaneous, and fun practice. It allows children to learn about the world, research objects, people, and train animals. Play helps children understand the structure of the outside world and develop physically, socially, and mentally.
Language: Definition and Theories
Language is a code used to represent ideas through a system of arbitrary signs for communication. Its content and use depend on the context.
Chomsky’s Theory
Chomsky’s theory is based on the study of the intrinsic ability to understand and produce human language. He suggests that the repetition of certain elements is universal and genetic. He believes that language matures according to a calendar, while Piaget links language development to mental representation.
Bruner’s Theory
Bruner views language as a significant social behavior that exists to serve communication between the issuer and the receiver. He emphasizes the importance of the social environment in children’s language acquisition. He proposes two components of the Language Acquisition Device (LAD):
- **Linguistic Support System (LASS)** (innate)
- **Social Support System of Language Acquisition (SSAL)** (adult help, even when children cannot speak)
Preverbal Period
The child is seen as an apprentice. Adult-child interaction favors development.
Stages of Preverbal Development:
Shared Rhythms and Regulations (0-3 Months)
Parents govern interactions.
Shared Intention (2-8 Months)
The child tries to guess the adult’s intention, and vice versa.
Shared Memory (From 3-4 Months)
The baby stores routines to be shared before engaging in them.
Language (From 12 Months)
The baby says the first words.
Communicative Initial Development
Primary requirements are intersubjectivity and communicative intention. The mother-child relationship is highly subjective. Three elements are involved: the baby, the adult, and the situation. In the first months, the child is very interested in the human face. Slowly, interest in objects awakens. The child uses indication to establish their intentions. Bruner highlights the importance of joint action and joint attention.
Early Vocalizations
Babbling
Unspecific sounds that the child uses without any intention, or crying to draw attention. They receive an answer from the adult.
Lalling
Imperfect imitation of the sounds around them. Repeated sounds are easy to combine.
Echolalia
The child repeats sounds and words. Word specification occurs in the first half of the second year.