Principles Of Language Acquisition And Development

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Linguistics

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The formal study of structures and processes of a language. Linguists strive to describe language acquisition and language in general.

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Phonetics

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The study of the sounds of language and their physical properties.

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Phonology

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The analysis of how sounds function in a language or dialect.

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Morphology

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The study of the structure of words.

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Semantics

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The study of the meaning in language.

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Syntax

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The study of the structure of sentences.

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Pragmatics

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The role of context in interpreting meaning.

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Sociolinguistics

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The study of language as it relates to society, including race, class, gender, and age.

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Ethnolinguistics

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The study of language as it relates to culture; frequently associated with minority linguistic groups within the larger culture.

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Psycholinguistics

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The study of language as it relates to the psychological and neurobiological factors that enable humans to learn language.

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Dialect

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A variation of a language used by people who live in a particular geographical area. It is a complete system of verbal (and sometimes written) communication with its own vocabulary and grammar. Dialects, particularly those spoken by a large number of people, can have subdialects.

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Standard Dialects

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Are supported by institutions, such as governments and schools. In English, for example, standard dialects include Standard American English, Standard Indian English, and Standard British English. Sub dialects of Standard American English include African American English Vernacular (also known as Back English Vernacular or Ebonics), Southern American English, Hawaiian English, Spanglish, and Appalachian English.

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Language v. Dialect

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Language and dialect can be difficult to distinguish, and often are differentiated with respect to status or power. Often, the standard language spoken as a "sociolect," in which a variety of a language is spleen by the elite class. Where power and status are not as important, dialects refer to the regional variations of a language.

In the English classroom, dialects play an important role in understanding literature, composition, and rhetoric. Students learn to read dialects, such as Southern American English, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; they learn to write in Standard American English and in other dialects they may speak or try to imitate; and they learn to speak in Standard American English for certain audiences and in other dialects for other audiences, such as peers, dramatic performances, and debates.

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Historical and Political Influences on Language Acquisition

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Some experts view every language as a dialect of an older communication form. For example, they regard the Romance languages (French, Spanish, and Portuguese, among other) as dialects of Latin. Political relationships also influence views of a language as either a new entity or a dialect. For example, English is thought to have two primary dialects -- American English and British English. The United States and Great Britain are close political allies.