LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Episode 1 ~

The concept of language acquisition came about through studies of how language actually emanates in an individual. Some scholars like Noam Chomsky, Bloomfield and the likes began studying how language came into existence, how language is developed in children.

These studies made them to come up with various theories explaining how language emanates. But one thing that is sure is that they all agree that children acquire language from their imminent language community. This implies that the language spoken often in the environment of the child is what the child acquires.

What then is Language Acquisition?

Language acquisition in its simplest definition is the process to which children develop language while growing up. A child acquires language naturally although with some help.

According to Noam Chomsky, the child is endowed with a device (Language Acquisition Device, LAD) that helps him/her to acquire language. Bloomfield suggested that the child does not just acquire language but must be exposed to a language community.

While the arguments remain in the field of Linguistics, the core fact is that Language in children is a product of divine/natural phenomenon aided with exposure to a language community (Josiah Egbilika).

How does it work? | Episode 2 (Next Week)

- Egbilika Josiah | Linguist, Language/Communication Expert, Consultant, Editor, Public Speaker, Research Consultant

Turn In to #LanguageHealth Radio Programme, 9-10pm Every Wednesday, 92.3 Nigeria Info. Twitter: @megastarjec

A #LanguageHealth Series from Language Sense Initiative #LanguageSense

Comments

A Global Call To Protect The Child's Right To Indigenous Language

by: Josiah Egbilika It is a well and known fact in Nigeria that May 27 of every year is used to celebrate the importance and existence of children. The day was set aside as a universal children's day every November 20 in 1954 but was first established for May 27 in Nigeria after the degree of 1964. The essence of the day is to create and enhance awareness of the rights of children in the society so everyone will adore and respect these rights and ensure children have a better growing life. Unfortunately, recent accounts have revealed a massive downplay to the protection of the rights of children in the country. A United Nations report shows that six out of every ten children experience some form of violence, one in four girls and ten per cent of boys have been victims of sexual violence with 23 million girls forced to child marriage. Beyond these abuses, one of such rights of the child that have received low attention over the years is the right to indigenous language. The right to...

Babies Learn Language Earlier Than We Realized, Study Reveals

By Eylem Altuntas Babies are like little detectives, constantly piecing together clues about the world around them. If you've ever noticed your baby staring at you while you talk, it's because they're picking up on more than just sounds – they're learning how those sounds are made. Our recent study, published in Developmental Science, shows this amazing process starts as early as four months old, shaking up the old belief that babies learn these patterns only after tuning in to their native language between 6 and 12 months of age. It also gives us an earlier window to help children who might be at risk of speech or language delays. Sorting through a buffet of sounds By their first birthday, babies are already fine-tuning their ears to the sounds of their native language in a process called perceptual attunement. Think of it like their brain sorting through a buffet of sounds to focus on the ones that matter most. But in their first six months, babies can tell apart soun...

ACHIEVING AN ALL INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE SYSTEM IN NIGERIA

By Josiah Egbilika Linguist, Indigenous Language Advocate Every 21st February, the world celebrates the international mother tongue day. This day is set aside to create awareness of the necessity of indigenous languages and why the globe should have language tolerance noting that despite the differences in our languages, we are one. This year, the celebration is special as it marks the 25th year, silver jubilee of the celebration of the international mother tongue day which was adopted by united nations in 2000 after been initiated by Bangladesh the year before. This therefore calls for a reflection to the Nigerian situation. For 25 years, what has Nigeria achieved, how have we felt in terms of language development and sustainability? While there may seems to be more negatives to the questions above, there are actually some positives we as a nation has achieved. The past 25 years, Nigeria has developed some language policies to help the development of indigenous languages. There i...

Language Health

Search This Blog