First Language Acquisition Basic Requirements

1
First Language AcquisitionBasic Requirements

• interaction with other language users
• physical capability of sending and receiving
  signals
• ability to hear
• Noam Chomsky Language acquisition is language
  growth ? language organ
• underestimates the importance of environment and
  experience

2
The acquisition of negatives

• Stage 1 (18-26 months)
• NO or NOT added to the beginning of any
  expression
• No sit here.
• Not teddy bear.
• No fall.

3
The acquisition of negatives

• Stage 2 (22-30 months)
• additional negative forms DONT and CANT
• NO and NOT begin to be placed in front of the
  verb
• He no bite you.
• There no squirrels.
• You cant dance.

4
The acquisition of negatives

• Stage 3 (24-40 months)
• Incorporation of other auxiliary forms DIDNT
  and WONT
• Disappearance of stage one forms
• Late acquisition ISNT
• I didn't caught it.
• He not taking it.
• She wont let go.

5
The acquisition of questions

• Stage 1 (18-26 months)
• Simply add Wh-forms to the beginning of
  expressions
• Rise intonation towards the end
• Where kitty? Where horse go? Sit chair?

6
The acquisition of questions

• Stage 2 (22-30 months)
• complex expressions can be formed, rising
  intonation still in use, more WH-forms come into
  use
• What book name?
• Why you smiling?
• You want eat?
• See my doggie?

7
The acquisition of questions

• Stage 3 (24 40 months)
• Inversion of subject and verb has appeared, but
  WH-forms do not always undergo the required
  inversion.
• Can I have a piece?
• How that happened?
• Did I caught it?
• What did you do?
• Why kitty cant stand up?

8
How do children acquire the meaning of words?

• OVEREXTENSION children tend to overextend the
  meaning of words on the basis of some
  similarities of shape, sound or size
• E.g. tick-tock is used for clock and bathroom
  scale

9
How do children acquire the meaning of words?

• NARROWING DOWN the application of each term as
  more word are learned
• HYPONYMYchildren use the middle term level in a
  set of hyponyms
• E.g. animal dog poodle
• Plant flower tulip
• at the age of 5 operating vocabulary of about
  2000 words