The Importance Of Language Development

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Language development is a complex topic which has been largely debated about amongst linguists over a long period of time. Some believe that language is acquired through experience and communication with those in their environment (nurture). Studies have indicated that there is a correlation between environmental factors (such as the way we speak to infants and socio economic status) and language acquisition. Conversely, others claim that language development is natural and innate (nature). Research shows how language is inherent regardless of what the language is. Additionally theorists such as Noam Chomsky believe that we are born with an intrinsic mechanism/device for acquiring language (Bee & Boyd, 2010). Either way, it seems that both nurture and nature play vital roles in a child’s language development.

A child’s environment can impact children’s’ ability to acquire language on many levels. That is, social experience with language within a child’s surroundings shape how their language develops. Adults in a child’s environment can support language acquisition by …show more content…

(2010). The developing child (12th ed.). Boston, New York , San Francisco, Mexico City, Motreal, Toronto, London, Madrid, Munich, Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Cape Toen, Sydney: Allyn & Bacon.

Blakemore, S.-J., & Frith, U. (2005). The learning brain: lessons for education. Malden, MA, Oxford, Victoria: Blackwell.

Crystal, D. (1941). Child language, learning and linguistics : an overview for the teaching and therapeutic professions (2nd ed.). London: Edward Arnold.

Garton, A., & Pratt, C. (1998). Learning to be literate : the development of spoken and written language (2nd ed.). Oxford, UK: Blackwell.

Gazzaniga, M. S., Ivry, R. B., & Mangun, G. R. (2002). Cognitive neuroscience: The biology of the mind. (2nd ed.). New York & London: W.W. Norton & Company.

Owens, R. E. (2014). Language development : an introduction (8th ed.). Harlow, Essex:

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