Child Language Acquisition - Speaking - A Level Unit

A 10 lesson unit comprising a 74 slide PowerPoint and 10 different worksheets (8 include a transcript for analysis) exploring the topic of child language acquisition (speech) and a summary terminology and theory sheet. This unit can be used for any exam board.

Each lesson includes a starting discussion prompt which acts as a learning objective, detailed notes on the theories and terminology listed below, a worksheet containing a transcript (or revision cards for lesson 10), and a homework task. The following theories and terminology are covered:

• Pre-verbal stages of CLA including reduplicated, variegated and jargon babbling
• Lexical and grammatical stages of CLA
• Nelson – Categories of first words (1973)
• Reduplication/ diminuitives/ addition/ substitution/ assimilation/ deletion/ consonant cluster reduction
• Gestalt expressions/ content and function words
• Noun bias –Bloom (2001)
• Language Acquisition Device (LAD) and Universal Grammar –Chomsky (1965)
• Virtuous errors/overextension/Underextension
• ‘Fis’ Phenomenon –Berko and Brown (1960)
• The Wug Test –Berko Gleason (1958)
• Pivot Schema –Braine (1973)
• Semantic Development –Brown (1973)
• The Acquisition of the System of Negation in Children’s Speech and Stages of Pronoun Acquisition –Bellugi (1967)
• Formation of questions –Brown (1968)
• Behaviourism –Skinner (1957)
• Social Learning Theory –Bandura (1977)
• A usage-based approach to learning language –Ibbotson (2009)
• Stages of Cognitive Development –Piaget (1936)
• Learning as a social process –Vygotsky (1930)
• Criticisms of Piaget’s Theory – Repacholi and Gopnik (1997) and Lewis and Ramsay (2004)
• Social Interactionism and LASS – Bruner (1983)
• Functions of Children’s Language – Halliday (1975)
• Functions of Children’s Language – Dore (1975)
• How a lack of social interactionism affects language learning – Pinker (1994) and Kuhl (2010)
• Child Directed Speech and its features

The final lesson is a consolidation activity complete with guided revision cards. Alternatively, you could use an app such as Quizlet so that the students could produce digital revision resources.