For this response to reading, I endeavor to combine theory with a tone of comedy. After reading the riveting text by Gardiner and Kosmitzki, the following questions accentuate information I pondered on from the text:
1. Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
2. What messages can children and adults learn about language from the movies, The Minions and The Pink Panther?
3. Do television shows like Sid the Science Kid and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiago? impact children’s thinking processes and encourage “reciprocal socialization” (Gardiner & Kosmitzki, 2011, p. 124) to stimulate learning?
4. What did I learn about “formal operational thinking” (Gardiner & Kosmitzki, 2011, p. 137) from the marooned cast of Gilligan’s Island?
5. Can the notion of teaching old dogs new tricks also apply to human “intelligence and cognitive aging” (Gardiner & Kosmitzki, 2011, p. 141)?
The Chicken or the Egg?
The question of determining whether the chicken came before the egg, or the egg came before the chicken is a classic query that cause people to speculate about the logical sequence of the animal’s existence. The inquiry may seem simple and
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Conversely, limited exposure to a specific language may cause a delay or regression in language fluency. Therefore, a children can develop with a balanced sense of language and cognition when surrounded by appropriate sounds from those who are in their inner circle, or “mesosystem” (2011, p. 127), and when they receive ample opportunities to learn. Furthermore, I believe that language acquisition and cognitive development becomes successful when there is cohesion between the systems (microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem), rather than a variety of mixed messages defining “good speech” and “bad speech” (2011, p. 123), or the idea of code-switching based on one’s cultural
There’s a long-standing argument that most people resort to when discussing whether or not children are better suited to acquire a language over adults. The “critical period hypothesis” argues, “that children are superior to adults in learning second languages because their brains are more flexible.” (McLaughlin 2) This argument is true to some extent, however, experimental research has found that adolescents and adults are able to acquire languages better based on their controlled environment. Children, on the other hand, are better able to grasp a better understanding of the pronunciation of languages compared to adults. (McLaughlin
Intelligence has been commonly thought to decline as we get older, however this is a flawed belief. Countless individuals will argue that there are various cognitive processes that are associated with changes in the brain that do deteriorate with time, however there are also other brain areas that increase their activity in older age. I believe a person’s ability to perform certain tasks may become slower as they get older, but this doesn’t automatically mean that they are cognitively getting less intelligent. There are numerous ways in which intelligence can be defined, although it is commonly defined as general cognitive skills, this means that it is a mental ability involved in the capacity of learning, reasoning, perceiving relationships and analogies, understanding, facts, meanings, etc. (Dictionary definition). However Raymond Cattell (1963) argued that ‘intelligence does not generally consist of only cognitive performance’. Cattell and Horns theory developed in 1966 and emphasises that intelligence is composed of a number of different abilities that interrelate to form the broad term of intelligence. The main two factors are crystallised and Fluid intelligence.
Most have heard the classical paradox of the chicken and the egg. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The same question can apply to the individual and society. Which comes first? To answer the question, a concept of the individual must be established and the origins of society must be explored. Only then can one compare and contrast their roles in relation to the other. Two revolutionary thinkers, Soren Kierkegaard and Bertolt Brecht, will give their arguments of opposition to try to determine whether the power between society and the individual is pulled in one particular direction than the other. In conclusion, an answer will be produced to the question: the chicken, society, or the egg, the individual? The concept of the individual is difficult to define in a way that is universally accepted, due to its historical and cultural variability. Th individual is a historical being in that he developes a personality as he grows and circulates within his or her family, peer group, neighborhood and eventually within the society as a whole. He developes in the process patterns of feeling, thinking, and habits. An individual is also a cultural being. Culture includes religion, philosophy, science, technology, art, education, politics, etc within a given society. The concept of the individual emerged, across western society at the end of the middle ages (1200-1400), with the rise and expansion of a new social class: the bourgeoise. During the historical emergence of a new social class, the bourgeoisie, co-developing was a new form of society. The feudal society, which had come to an end, saw the emergence of the hierarchy of social groups, making people dependent on others. On the shoulders of the common man grew an enormous parasit...
The information presented in evolution studies must be viewed with an open mind since there is no definite proof or law of evolution. The dilemma boils down to science vs. religion. God has been our creator since beginning of time, but the discoveries of recent science are sudde...
This essay is about a child’s development and learning, focusing primarily on language development. It will describe the main stages of developmental "milestones" and the key concepts involved for children to develop their language skills, discussing language acquisition and social learning theory. The essay will also look into the key theorists involved in language development, primarily Vygotsky and Chomsky, and how these theories have had an impact on the way society views language and their implementation within schools. The essay will describe the factors affecting language development, both biological and environmental. While also discussing key arguments among theorists, one being the nature vs nurture debate, and how these play a part in the teaching in schools.
When it comes to the topic of television, most of us would readily agree that watching television is a waste of time. Where the agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of “are there shows that increase our intelligence?” and what pleasure do some television show bring to us? I would say there are some great shows that increase our intelligence. Shows like “Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?” this kind of show puts the brain to work; thinking. There are some other shows that tend to convince us that watching television seduces our mind. I find Johnson’s argument about his article “watching television makes you smarter” confusing because he was not actually picking sides in the article and Steven’s “Thinking Outside The Idiot Box” argument about how “it’s really good at teaching you to think… about the future episode” (Steven, 296). Although I agree with the author of “Watching Television Makes you Smarter” Johnson to an extent, I cannot accept that he overlooks how much time people spends each day watching television.
Language has a significant impact on cognitive development as according to Vygotsky language precedes thinking. (Powell, Katherine C, Kalina, Cody J p241) A common language is necessary for people to interact socially. Language is...
Cognitive Development and Language Skills Development “Cognitive development underpins all the other aspects of development as children start to explore and make sense of the world around them. It is closely linked to the development of language and communication skills as children interact with the people around them.” There are many theories written on the subjects of cognitive development and language and communication. These theories vary in several ways, but they all seem to make the link between the too subjects. Childcare settings put these theories into practise in a lot of ways, sometimes without even realising it, just through conversation.
Television supports reading, which in turn to improves language ability. Good programming improves reading and can increase thinking. The Himmelweit confirms, “Television in the long run encourages children to read books; a conclusion that can be reinforced by evidence from libraries, book clubs, and publishing companies” (Postman 33). Dr. Hemmelweit stresses this point; “Book reading comes into its own, not despite television but because of it”(33).
There are three main theories of child language acquisition; Cognitive Theory, Imitation and Positive Reinforcement, and Innateness of Certain Linguistic Features (Linguistics 201). All three theories offer a substantial amount of proof and experiments, but none of them have been proven entirely correct. The search for how children acquire their native language in such a short period of time has been studied for many centuries. In a changing world, it is difficult to pinpoint any definite specifics of language because of the diversity and modification throughout thousands of millions of years.
Child development language is a process by which children come to communicate and understand language during early childhood. This usually occurs from birth up to the age of five. The rate of development is usually fast during this period. However, the pace and age of language development vary greatly among children. Thus, the language development of a child is usually compared with norms rather than with other individual children. It is scientifically proven that development of girls language is usually at a faster rate than that of boys. (Berk, 2010) In other terms language development is also a crucial factor that reflects the growth and maturation of the brain. However, this development usually retards after the age of five making it very difficult for most children to continue learning language. There are two major types of language development in children. These include referential and expressive language development styles. In referential language development, children often first speak single words and then join the words together, first into –word sentences and then into th...
Language Development in Children Language is a multifaceted instrument used to communicate an unbelievable number of different things. Primary categories are information, direction, emotion, and ceremony. While information and direction define cognitive meaning, emotional language expresses emotional meaning. Ceremonial language is mostly engaged with emotions, but at some level information and direction collection may be used to define a deeper meaning and purpose. There is perhaps nothing more amazing than the surfacing of language in children.
Language acquisition is perhaps one of the most debated issues of human development. Various theories and approaches have emerged over the years to study and analyse this developmental process. One factor contributing to the differing theories is the debate between nature v’s nurture. A question commonly asked is: Do humans a...
Children’s acquisition of language has long been considered one of the uniquely defining characteristics of human behaviour.
Language has oral, written and non-verbal aspects, that can be seen and heard, and which are socially and culturally influenced. Although languages have common features, these social and cultural influences also create great diversity among languages and varieties, often leading to a perception that some varieties have greater value or status. In addition, social and cultural context play a large role in meaning-making. Children develop language as a result of social and cultural interactions, based on a growing awareness of the functions of language, and how language can be used. This understanding of the different types and uses of language increases as children experience language outside of the home. As their understanding of these different roles of language grows, children gain the ability to select and use the appropriate language for a particular context or