MadSci Network: Development
Query:

Re: How is a 2-yr old talk different from ours

Date: Wed Dec 10 08:01:01 2003
Posted By: Brigitte Todd, Post-doc/Fellow, Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine
Area of science: Development
ID: 1070299643.Dv
Message:

Learning a first language is a remarkable process. A child will acquire their first language successfully in only a few years. A two year old’s speech is different from that of adults because they are still in the process of language acquisition (remember that every child acquires language at a different rate, and there is a range of learning that is considered normal – normal children can differ by a year or more in their rate of language development). Babies start understanding words (receptive language) before 12 months of age and start producing them (expressive language) shortly after. Initially, babies produce single words, mostly for objects such as food or people (e.g. mama, doggie). At about 18 months, the child starts learning words at a very rapid rate – about 9 words per day. They will also start stringing words together, in two word sequences such as “hi mama” or “I pee”. They can also understand complex sentences and respond to them. A two-year-old is aware of the world around her. She knows her name (first and last) and can point to pictures in a book when asked to identify them. She can ask "what" and "where" questions. She understands the word "no" and can make her own negative statements. She is learning concepts like in, on, under, behind. She likes to chant syllables and sing silly songs. She will also have some favorite phrases that she attaches to other words in order to make sentences ("Daddy go home." or "Doggie go home." or "Bird go home."). Between 18 and 30 months there is a transition from two- or three-word strings to conversational language. Children speak in longer and longer sentences with increasingly better grammar. By the time the child is in the middle of her 3’s, she will have acquired most of the grammatical abilities she will need in adult life. References: http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Papers/Py104/pinker.langacq.html http://www .facstaff.bucknell.edu/rbeard/acquisition.html


Current Queue | Current Queue for Development | Development archives

Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Development.



MadSci Home | Information | Search | Random Knowledge Generator | MadSci Archives | Mad Library | MAD Labs | MAD FAQs | Ask a ? | Join Us! | Help Support MadSci


MadSci Network, webadmin@www.madsci.org
© 1995-2003. All rights reserved.