ECE 315
Language Development in Young Children
Welcome to our course!
Have you ever had the experience of sharing in the discovery of language with a young child? As they experiment with sounds in strings of coos and move towards their first words, it is amazing to witness the natural progression of language acquisition over the first six years of their life.
This course will guide our examination of that development and help us, as future educators, create a stimulating environment that promotes rich acquisition.
Week One ~ Thoughts & Tips from the Trenches
Introduction Week One focuses on the nature of language including the attributes of language and the structure of language. You will explore the attributes of language, levels of language structure, and the process of language .
You will begin your work this week by reading chapters 1 and 2 in our text. As I reviewed chapter one, I can share there are key take aways that will help you with our discussion work this week. One being the author, Terry Piper, defines the differences between language and communication. Piper also defines the four attributes of language: arbitrariness, semanticity, productivity, and displacement. While it is understood that language is influenced by culture, it is also important to know that geography plays a role in development of dialect. The chapter concludes with points regarding the difficulty to tech language. As a preschool teacher for years and in my work on elementary campuses with children learning second languages, I know this to be true. You can, as a teacher, model language and teach the rules and structure, but the overall acquisition occurs on a personalized and natural timeline. In other words, you create the print rich environment, but biology or nature still has the leading role.
Chapter two is really more of the nuts and bolts of language. While you may be tempted to skip this chapter as it is the more technical aspect of language, there are many key points that you need to understand in order to work effectively with students and communicate developmental levels with parents, special education teachers, or administrators. The chapter reviews the structure of language; sounds are first developed into units called phonemes, and strung together into simple units of meaning called morphemes; coordinated together in a sentence called syntax to make meaning which is understanding as semantics and pragmatics.
In my practice as a vice principal, I work with teachers when they have a concern about the language development of a student. Often, articulation, or the ability to produce the sounds correctly, is the area of concern. Teachers need to have a strong foundation in what sounds are developed at each specific age in order to fairly evaluate a child for a speech impediment or disability (click open link to see diagram). Teachers without a strong understanding of the structure of language may incorrectly refer a child to special education testing or may fail to recognize a child with a disability. There, this second chapter is foundational for your professional duties.
Post Your Introduction
Think about a unique way to communicate who you are to a potential employer. Some idea starters include visual representation, video introduction, acrostic, mock interview, using a quote that defines you, writing a biography, or any other creative idea that you may have. The purpose is to be able to use this when preparing for interviews, so be creative!
Include the following:
Your professional goals
Your strengths when communicating with others
One favorite language or literacy experience that you will use in your classroom
* Please note that you will use this activity in your final portfolio*
Post #1- Language Knowledge Article
Teachers are resources for parents. Choose one of the following topics and write a 250- to 350-word article for a parent newsletter:
Language Attributes
Process of Language Acquisition
Language and Communication
Your article should focus on helping parents understand the process of language acquisition in an informative, yet parent-friendly manner. Be sure to support your ideas with a reference to the textbook and at least one outside source cited in APA format. Construct your initial post for this discussion as if parents were your audience.
Post #2- Language Structure Poster
Journal #1
Your journal is your place to showcase your critical thinking. Review the list and reflect on the "statements or questions" that grab your interest. Read over the rubric to help you understand how points are awarded.
- You are surrounded by language and communication!
- Language and communication have become more expansive in our new digital world. While these changes do open many doors, there are also new areas to reflect on. Think about your day today. How did you communicate?
- Is this different than how you communicated 10 years ago? How about 20 years ago?
- Our language and our means of communication have changed over time. Have our rules and theories also changed? What about our interactions and expectations?
- How about the effectiveness of our communication?
- How do you think the new forms of language and abundance of diverse communication methods will affect our children and youth?
- What is the impact of this new communication on the “old” forms of communication?
- Do you think there will be a change in the language acquisition process? What might be the advantages and disadvantages of such a change?