1. CHAPTER 1: Language in Our Lives
Language Development in Early Childhood Education
Fourth Edition
Beverly W. Otto
Adapted by Dr. Laura Taddei

2. Reflect on your own experiences
Individually reflect on your own experiences with language Some questions to consider – what was your home language? Did you interact with others who came from a different language background? Did you travel to another area where a different language or dialect was spoken?
Language Reflection Activity
The purpose of this activity is to have students begin to think about their own language development and the contexts in which it occurred. Ask students to individually reflect on their experiences with learning language and developing their language competencies as they were growing up. For example, what was their home language? Did they interact with others that came from a different language background? Did they travel to other areas where a different language or dialect was spoken? What experiences did they have in learning a language different from their home language? After several minutes of this individual reflection (students may want to take brief notes on their reflection), ask students to share their reflections. This sharing could be either in a whole class setting or you might decide to have students meet in groups of 3-

3. What is language? A medium of communication
An essential component of all cultures
A system of symbols by which we clarify our thinking

4. What language competencies are needed by children?
Oral language
Listening and speaking
Written language
Reading and writing

5. Overview: Aspects of Language Knowledge
Phonological
Semantic
Syntactic
Morphemic
Pragmatic

6. Activity – Small Groups
Pages 4 to 13 – each group will be assigned one of the aspects of language and describe/illustrate what their aspect means: Group 1 – Phonological Group 2 – Semantic Group 3 – Syntactic Group 4 – Morphemic Group 5 - Pragmatic

7. Phonological Knowledge
Knowledge of the sound-symbol relationships in a language
Discrimination of speech sounds precedes the ability to produce those sounds

8. Phonological Knowledge Key Concepts
Phoneme
Phonological awareness
Prosodic features

9. Semantic Knowledge Knowledge of word labels that specify concepts
Receptive knowledge
Expressive knowledge
Schemata
Cognitive structures representing interrelations between concepts

10. Syntactic Knowledge
Knowledge of the system of rules for combining words in meaningful phrases and sentences
Syntax- word order or grammar

11. Morphemic Knowledge Knowledge of word structure Morphemes
Free morphemes
Bound morphemes
Derivational
Inflectional

12. Pragmatic Knowledge
Knowledge of how language is used differently in different settings
Social-cultural settings
Register
Genderlect
Written texts and genre

13. Levels of Language Knowledge
Linguistic knowledge
Metalinguistic knowledge
Verbalization of metalinguistic knowledge
Refer to page 16

14. Modes and Forms of Language Competencies
Oral language
Listening and speaking
Written language
Reading and writing

15. Critical Role of Children’s Oral Language Competencies
Provide basis for learning written language system
Enable effective communication during learning activities and social interactions