We are born into a world of language. It surrounds each of us in different ways and consumes our human lives. The ways in which we use language depend on the cultural and social contents we use it in. Green (2006) suggests that language can be seen in gestures, pictures, digital media, symbols, and relationships. It can be heard in spoken word and tones within our voices. Language plays a variety of roles in a child’s life and ultimately shapes how they learn to interact and communicate in our world. A child’s family life is shaped through language. Language plays a role in how they interact with others and form relationships.
What one child or person may see as standard in language learning may be very different to what another …show more content…
The foetus develops a preference toward their mother’s voice and the language they hear her speak. It picks up on the rhythm, tempo and tones of the spoken language, (White, F., Hayes, B, Livesey, D, 2010). Attaining the important components of language from a young age is vital to the development of language in children. There have been case studies of children who have been deprived of language when they were young, who even after being exposed to language for long periods of time do not develop their expressive and receptive language to an acceptable level. White, et al. (2010) suggests that children who are not exposed to language fail to develop their expressive and receptive language skills …show more content…
This can be visualised and spoken in various forms of media, such as on television and on the internet, and children are exposed to this language learning form a very young age, often subtly. Language shapes the way we view the people being described. Language can discriminate, for example, against women and make them out to be of a lower position in society as well as apply sexual prejudice. “To the extent that out language is both sexist and racist, our view of the world is affected”(Emmitt, 2010, p. 57).
Children need to understand the place language has in affecting people’s opinions, especially when we are so often overwhelmed with media and technology, telling us and manipulating people to believe certain things about society and people, through the language it uses.
Conclusion
To conclude, the role language plays in a child’s life can be varied and is prominent in shaping their beliefs, confidence, emotions and relationships, as well as, their success in school and later, in their career. Language can be seen and heard through a variety of means and can influence people’s views and the ways they interact. Language is something we, as humans, use every day. It is vital to our lives and although we have different experiences with language, from the moment we grow within the womb it starts to impact our