TrOn – Development of language

The process by which the smiles and gurgles of an infant develop to form the rich language of adulthood has long been the subject of research and debate, and various theories have been proposed to provide an explanation for the development of language.

Language development requires the appropriate use of signs and symbols that follow grammatical rules and can be combined to produce novel expressions.

Whilst the sequence of language development broadly follows the same pattern in different cultures, various influences can affect or alter the process.

In this module you will learn about the normal sequence of childhood language development and the different theoretical frameworks that have been proposed to explain how language is acquired.

We will also consider different environmental and biological factors that can influence normal language development. In the final section, we will define and look at the different components of communicative competence.