Difficulties in a childs acquisition of vocabulary.

Explain some of the difficulties a child might encounter in its acquisition of vocabulary from the time it speaks to the age of seven. You can also refer to some phonological features, as well as considering ideas such as the use of concrete and abstract nouns, overextension, acquisition of grammar words etc.

There are many different difficulties a child might face in their acquisition of vocabulary from their first words to the age of seven. One feature noticeable is that children of a young age tend to use monosyllabic words, for example wow, moo, quack etc. By taking part in the activity ‘a child’s first 50 words’ it is evident that children mainly use naming words, and objects they are surrounded with are very commonly used. This supports Skinner’s imitation and behaviour theory, which children learn from what is around them. It also supports Bruner’s social Interactionists theory, which if modes are witnessed in social interactions children will use them. 

Other difficulties a child might face are the different concepts of words. Some families use different words for certain things than others and this can cause confusion for the child. If an adult holds a toy and calls it a teddy bear, but the child’s parent calls it a cuddly bear, the aspect of the same object having two different names but meaning the same can confuse the child. This fits in with overextension. Overextension is when a child will have the same word for objects or things of similar likeness. For example, every four legged animal might be referred to as a doggie. This occurs because although a child understands what the animal is and notices differences, the infant only has one word for animals with for legs, this word being dog.

Theorists

Child Language Acquisition

Noam Chomsky (Innateness Theory)

Chomsky believes that language acquisition is an innate structure, or function within the brain. The theory states that there is a learning age, between the ages of 3 and 10 children are most likely to learn a language. Another factor that Chomsky uses to support his theory is that children do not need a trigger to learn a language; a child will try to learn language on their own e.g. cooing or babbling. A caregiver may encourage the use of language faster, but the child will often try to do it themselves.

B.F Skinner (Imitation and Behaviourist Theory)

Skinner came up with the operant conditioning theory and the use of reinforcement when learning. Positive reinforcement is the strengthening of the correct S-R bond, causing the behaviour to be repeated when it is enforced and negative reinforcement weakens the incorrect S-R bond, causing the behaviour to die out when it is not reinforced. The operant conditioning theory also included the element of punishment, which was the response from the environment that decreases the likelihood of behaviour to be repeated and punishment weakens behaviour. Skinner also stated that children learn through nurture, they imitate what they hear around them and this is how they learn language.

Jerome Bruner (Social Interactionists Theory)

Bruner believed that a child’s social environment and interaction paid a huge part in how they learn language. Bruner summarised that the world had three modes, they were:

·        

        Enactive (actions)

·        Iconic (pictures

·         Symbolic (words and numbers) 

Bruner believed that because children will see these modes because it is what they witness in social interactions and used when they perform tasks. Bruner considered language the most important tool in a child’s cognitive development. 

Jean Piaget (Cognitive Development Theory)

Piaget believed that all children are born with a mental structure that they inherit which all their knowledge is developed on and based on. Piaget believed that cognitive development was the organisation of mental processes of biological maturation and environmental experience.