Linguistics 305: Introduction to Language Studies
Question 1
The child is between the development of the vocabulary stage and the sentence formation stage.
Question 2
Baby Jaiden is between the development of the vocabulary stage and the sentence formation stage. This stage takes place between 18 months to 24 months, and a normal child is generally expected to control between 250 to 300 words. In this stage, the child can include the right association of meanings with word symbols. The child is also able to pick the correct meaning suggested by the context. When asked about his favorite snake, Jaiden says its cookie, but it doesn’t end there because he also likes cheese (0.28s-0.31s). The child is also able to organize and retain meanings. At some point when he tries to stand, the interviewer tells her to sit down, and he responds by sitting down (0.30s). This shows that he understands the meaning of “sit down” and can execute it. Jaiden also shows the ability to reason his way through small idea sections and the ability to grasp the meaning of a broader unitary idea. At 0.38s, when asked if he likes staying at home with his mother, he seems to be digesting the idea and responds, “yea, yea, yea,” showing the internalization of the concept.
The child also exhibits aspects of sentence formation stage. Jaiden speaks one-word sentences such as yea, muscles, blue, yellow, etc. after that, he speaks two and 3-word sentences like when asked about his favorite movie, he says “yea movie” (2.15s). The child also keeps repeating what he is being asked as a way of understanding the meaning of words by learning from repetition.
Question 3
The features and patterns in this clip align well with the expected age for the development features exhibited. It is expected that at 18 to 24 months, a normal child is expected to speak a one-word sentence just like Jaiden. When a two-year-old like Jaiden is asked, a question is expected to internalize and learn from it by repeating the question, as evidenced by the clip. Pronunciation also because clearer and an adult can clearly understand what the child is saying even though words don’t come out well, like in this case.
Question 4
The video clip tells me that the process of language acquisition is continuous, and all stages are related to each other. Babbling is the first and most crucial stage for language acquisition. It takes place between birth and eight months. The baby refers to the surroundings, and vocals start developing. Babbling takes place when the child is excited by seeing or hearing something. Unlike language, speech acquisition needs exposure to people who speak (Olmsted, 234). The sound around the baby stimulates them as they repeat what they hear. When a baby utters Ba and hears the same, he will repeat Ba, therefore making it BaBa. In the same kind, he makes repetitive sounds such as MaMa and DaDa. Parents play an essential role throughout the process of language acquisition. An abnormal child will soon decrease their speech acquisition frequency and even disappear with time since they lack the reinforcement that a normal child usually gets.
Work Cited
Olmsted, David Lockwood. Out of the mouth of babes: Earliest stages in language learning. Vol. 117. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG, 2019.