Language and speech development

such as voice sounds, gestures, or written symbols.
 Speech: The act of expressing or describing thoughts, feelings, or perceptions by the articulation of words

the
process of language learning for granted, language seems like a basic instinct as simple as
breathing or blinking
In fact, it is the most complex ability that a human
being will ever master.

changes, the baby will brighten up and turn to look at the new stimulus.
 Infants prefer the language that resembles the speech of their mothers.
 Prefer their own mother’s voice, as opposed to that of other women.

Suggests that, during the first eight months, The child is remarkably attentive to language.
Although not yet learning words, but
acquiring the basic auditory patterns of his native language

like Hearing children

9

AUDITORY

FEEDBACK

Exploration of the coordinated use of the mouth, Lungs, and larynx.

Drift in the direction of the native language
12 Months

record the sounds of words.
Ability to control vocal productions that occur in the late stages of babbling.
General growth of the symbolic function, as represented in play and imitation.

standard. Children tend to:

Drop unstressed syllables, producing hippopotamus as poma.
Repeat consonants, producing water as wawa.
Simplify and reduce consonant clusters, producing tree as pee.
PROBLE M IS
So many simplifications occur at once Making so many words difficult to recognize

meanings of the
first words
For several months, the child produces
only isolated single words

more, go)
Arguments (e.g. cookie or Mommy)

First step in syntactic development

figure out how

the ‘glue words’ but find it

difficult to coordinate their

production in the correct order

Children tend to be conservative and unsure about how to use verbs productively until about age 5

 All incomplete and ungrammatical.
 Include only the most important words, without any of the relational glue.
?

tenses
Begins to learn the social uses of language
Begins to form subject–verb–object sentences Begins to tell narratives

Development of ‘ed’ endings

sufficient
phonetic ability to learn many new words.

25 to 36 months

Continued growth in phonetic inventory, along with vocabulary and syntax.
Stuttering is often first noticed at about this age

3 to 4 years

Almost all vowels are mastered by this age, along with a number of consonants.

4 to 6 years

Closing in on phonemic mastery, with the
exception of fricative (noise) sounds. Teeth fall.

6 to 9 years

Phonemic mastery typically completed, but
refinements in speech production continue.

9+ years

Speech development is complete, but developmental changes can be observed (E.G., Voice change in adolescence)