Because the infant can rapidly acquire a language through immediate imitation, repetition, and sentence structure, language acquisition is always crucial. The kid will be able to use proper grammar and vocabulary in sentences. That serves as a prerequisite for the growth of first and second languages. The youngster was conscious of the learning tool. In order for children to learn grammar at an early age, regardless of their environment, all children should be exposed to language. The infant's linguistic development will always be modestly and fruitfully facilitated by LAD.
As far as the child population is concerned, language does go through different phases. It involves two steps that are; mother tongue acquisition also known as mother tongue and second language acquisition. Second language acquisition includes knowledge learned from mother tongue plus the whole process of trying to understand other various languages so to encapsulate other foreign languages. Learning new words, forming grammatical sentences and the formation of sound also phonology will form a basis of other language progress. This step involves following critical stages namely;
Pre-speech: it has also known the silent stage, also pre-production stage. Refers where the infant takes in a new language and can never respond. The period usually last for 6-8 months
Early production: The individual begins to produce some consonant sounds but still keep the mother tongue. The period is between 9-18 months, and thus they are many errors in these stages.
Two-word stage: It is also known as speech emergent stage, the individual starts to utter long sentences and repetitive speech. The errors decrease, and there is an improvement on vocabulary
Beginning of eloquence: The infants begin to be fluent in fear and scared, he/she makes minimal errors.
Middle Fluency: communication in this stage is fluent, and the individual can express well especially on the social situation. In this juncture, the main limitation is the child is not free to express and use vocabulary words as intended but rather shy off.
Advanced Fluency: At this stage, an individual can express his or her views in a clear and understandable way, here the child can maneuver in all context. Grammar and sentence formation are well defined. Happens at the age of over 30 months
3. Theories of Language Development
Nativist/innatist perspective theory
This theory was put forward by Noam Chomsky. He said that every child was born with the ability to learn their native language. However, he stated that human had a Language Acquisition Device (LAD) which could allow them to learn and interpret language.
The learning theory: This theory states that any child born has got nothing but acquire learning through support of their parents. Mothers do play a significant role here because, through their frequent interaction with child, the infant will develop producing sound which later will lead to learning to develop a language
Interactionist approach theory: This method combines natural and social interaction for a child to learn the language. It was put forward by Vygotsky and Bruner. Bruner theory depends entirely on LAD and LASS. Vygotsky’s theory subdivides proximal development zones into three parts which he named them are a zone where the learner informed on zones where the learner can do alone and a zone where the individual student cannot do without guidance.
Cognitive theory; it was developed by a psychologist called Piaget, he said children are active learners and can’t learn before they are ready. The child uses senses and classifies objects at the age of 2. Later at the age (between 2-7), the infant began to think only of oneself.
References
.Linguistics 201: First language acquisition. Retrieved February 1, 2017, from http://pandora.cii.wwu.edu/vajda/ling201/test4materials/ChildLangAcquisition.html
Linguistics 001 -- lecture 23 -- First language acquisition. Retrieved February 1, 2017, from http://www.ling.upenn.edu/courses/ling001/acquisition.html
Robertson, K., & Ford, K. (2009, October 1). Comments. Retrieved February 1, 2017, from http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/language-acquisition-overview
Eleanor Hare (2016, May 31). CHILD LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: Key theories Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr_hK2Owq8o&feature=youtu.be
