Code of the Course:
During early childhood, children often master language with respect to the cultural factors associated with it in their respective cultures. This may only be inhibited by physical disabilities or unsuitable environments which deprive them off the chance of learning the language which may lead to a communication disorder. This paper will discuss the steps that children go through in the process of developing language. The steps are pronunciation, syntax, vocabulary and meaning, pragmatics, metalinguistic awareness and partnerships with famines.
The first stage in the language development process is the pronunciation stage. At this stage, children try to learn how to pounce words properly. At this stage, children normally prefer to use words which they are able to pronounce correctly. The sounds which pose problems at this stage are j, th, v, and zh (Woolfolk 2005, p.26).
The second stage is the syntax stage. At this stage, the children try to learn the order of using words in phrases and sentences. Generally, they try to express themselves in the right manner by joining words to make phrases and sentences. At this stage, the use of the passive voice in sentences is normally a major problem.
The third stage is the vocabulary & meaning stage. At this stage, children try to discern the meaning of words. At this stage, the children learn a lot of words and vocabularies on a daily basis. They take the literal meaning of words, phrases and sentences.
With respect to pragmatics, the fourth stage, children learn how to communicate using language (Woolfolk 2005, p.27). Initially, children do not know how to communicate; that is deliver information. However, the children learn such things as turn taking in conversations, hence being able to communicate efficiently.
Metalinguistic awareness is the fifth stage of the language development process. At this stage, the children understand language and learn how to manipulate wordings and sentence structures to communicate specific information. This stage is characterized by a development in language use.
The last stage is partnerships with families. At this stage, the children learn language use when they relate with their parents and other family members in activities such as reading and writing (Woolfolk 2005, p.27).
References
Woolfolk, A., (2005). Educational Psychology, 9th ed., Pearson, Boston
