Stages Of Language Development Research Articles

Towards an analysis of Notker Labeo's Old High German

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a project whose principal objective was to provide a basis for a detailed analysis of late Old High German (OHG). Such an analysis had been impeded by the lack of an extensive and readily accessible tabulation of the word material based on the manuscripts. With computer techniques, it was possible to undertake a survey of this large body of material, to construct a model of OHG in the early 11th century, and to begin to establish a precise hypothesis of its relation to Middle High German, which rose in the late 11th century. No analysis of OHG had previously been carried out on this scale and in this manner. It was anticipated that the project would help resolve in exact detail the long-debated question of what happened in late OHG to permit scholars to posit two historically distinct stages of language development in that pivotal century. Notker Labeo of St. Gall, who died in 1022, is not only the most important writer in late OHG but is also the most widely preserved writer of the entire OHG period.

The analysis of language level and language function: a methodological study.

SummaryThis paper reports a method of analysing speech and language in young children which encompasses both level of development and also abnormalities in usage. It was developed initially for the purpose of (1) measuring changes in the language usage of autistic children as a result of a treatment programme (Howlin et al, 1973a Hemsley et al, 7977); (2) comparing the language characteristics of autistic and developmental “dysphasic” children Bartak et al, 1975; Rutter, 1976; Cantwell et al, 1977); and (3) comparing the language of young normal children with that of both these language disordered groups. Nevertheless, the method is designed to be usable for the study of any group of children, normal or abnormal, in the early and middle stages of language development.

Infant babbling and speech

ABSTRACTPrevious scholars have claimed that the child's babbling (meaningless speech-like vocalizations) includes a random assortment of the speech sounds found in the languages of the world. Babbled sounds have been claimed to bear no relationship to the sounds of the child's later meaningful speech. The present research disputes the traditional position on babbling by showing that the phonetic content of babbled utterances exhibits many of the same preferences for certain kinds of phonetic elements and sequences that have been found in the production of meaningful speech by children in later stages of language development.

The Language of Children

The language of young children is systematically constructed on certain basic principles. Various stages in language development are detailed. Since language is a distinct and consistent output from a characteristic form of mental organization, it may provide insight into other kinds of mental operations.

Stages in Language Development and Reading Exposure

This study of language acquisition in children between the ages of six and ten investigates their linguistic competence with respect to complex aspects of English syntax. Thirty-six children were tested for knowledge of nine complex syntactic structures. Five of the structures proved to be acquired in sequence, revealing five developmental stages in acquisition of syntax. The nature of specific disparities between adult grammar and child grammar are discussed, and the gradual reduction of these disparities as the children's knowledge of their native language increases is traced. Of particular interest is the regular order of acquisition of structures, accompanied by wide variation in rate of acquisition in different children.

SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DISORDERS IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN: A PREVENTIVE APPROACH

From 4 to 9% of elementary school children with normal to superior intelligence exhibit symptoms of developmental speech and language disorders, such as: stuttering (or stammering);* severely defective articulation in the absence of hearing loss; and finally the syndrome of multiple perceptual, motor, and language disorder. These developmental deviations or disorders interfere markedly with early school adaptation. If no adequate help is forthcoming the symptoms may increase in severity and interfere with the achievement and social adaptation of the children concerned. The sex ratio reported has been, as a rule, 75% boys to 25% girls. The importance of the preschool years for language development has been established in many studies.1, 2 McCarthy referred to the "amazingly rapid acquisition of an extremely complex system of symbolic habits by young children,"1 while Penfield and Roberts3 mentioned the "biological time table for language learning," and assumed that the most intensive learning occurs between 2 and 4 years of age. Studies in language development carried out earlier in the century were mostly normative, focusing upon the number of different sounds and words mastered by the majority of children at a given age1, 4, 5 Thus we expect the "average" child to begin using his first words between 10 and 18 months of age, to master approximately 300 words at age 2, and approximately 1,000 words at age 3. In a more recent study, Templin compared her findings concerning children's learning of consonant sounds with those of other investigators.6 The pediatrician, trying to evaluate a child's stage of language development may want to know what specific sounds a child should be able to master at what particular age.