3.5 Communication and Language Development

Language development is a fascinating process that follows universal stages across cultures. From cooing and babbling to one-word utterances and telegraphic speech, children progress through predictable milestones as they acquire language skills.

Communication relies on a shared system of arbitrary symbols governed by rules of grammar and syntax. As children learn these rules, they make common errors like overregularization, showcasing their active role in constructing language understanding.

Components of language and communication

Shared system of arbitrary symbols

Language is built on symbols that everyone in a culture agrees mean specific things. These symbols are the building blocks for all our communication, from simple to complex.

The power of language comes from its rule-based nature and generative properties. By following established patterns, we can create endless combinations of words to express new ideas.

Phonemes: Fundamental Units of Sound

Phonemes are the basic sound units that distinguish meaning within a language. Phonemes vary across languages, creating challenges when learning new languages that use different sound distinctions.

• The difference between /b/ and /p/ in "bat" vs. "pat"
• The three distinct sounds in "cat": /k/ + /æ/ + /t/
• There are approximately 44 phonemes in English (compared to 13 in Hawaiian)

Morphemes: Smallest Meaningful Units

Morphemes are the smallest language units that carry meaning, either as standalone words or meaningful word parts. English uses both types extensively, with words often containing multiple morphemes that modify the core meaning.

• Free morphemes: stand-alone words like "dog," "run," "the"
• Bound morphemes: must attach to other morphemes
  • Prefixes: "un-" in "unhappy"
  • Suffixes: "-ed" in "walked"
  • Inflectional endings: "-er" in "faster"

Semantics: Meanings of Words and Phrases

Semantics deals with how meaning is constructed in language.

• Key semantic concepts:
  • Word meanings (literal definitions)
  • Multiple meanings of words (like "bank")
  • How word combinations create sentence meanings
  • How context affects interpretation

Children develop semantic understanding progressively, beginning with concrete objects and gradually comprehending abstract concepts and relationships.

Language Development

Universal Patterns

Language acquisition follows remarkably similar patterns across cultures and languages. Children progress through predictable stages as they develop linguistic competence.

Early communication begins with nonverbal gestures:

• Pointing emerges around 9-12 months
• Waving and reaching communicate intentions before words
• Head shaking/nodding to indicate yes/no
• These gestures provide a foundation for symbolic communication

The progression of vocal language follows universal stages:

1. Cooing (2-4 months): production of vowel-like sounds
2. Babbling (6-10 months): repetitive consonant-vowel combinations (e.g., "ba-ba-ba")
3. One-word stage (12-18 months): using single words to represent entire thoughts
4. Telegraphic speech (18-24 months): two-word combinations omitting function words

Common Language Learning Patterns

As children acquire language, they demonstrate predictable learning patterns and make systematic errors that reveal their developing understanding of linguistic rules.

Overgeneralization errors show rule application:

• Applying regular past tense to irregular verbs ("I goed" instead of "I went")
• Creating regular plurals for irregular nouns ("foots" instead of "feet")
• Using standard comparative forms inappropriately ("more better")

Other common developmental patterns:

• Fast mapping: learning new words after minimal exposure
• Overextension: using one word for multiple related objects (calling all four-legged animals "doggy")
• Underextension: restricting word usage too narrowly (using "car" only for the family vehicle)
• Holophrastic speech: using single words to express complex meanings

These patterns appear consistently across languages and cultures, suggesting innate language acquisition capabilities that interact with environmental exposure to develop full linguistic competence.