‘Language gives shape and organisation to thought’ (Winch, Ross- Johnston, March, Ljungdahl & Holliday, 2010. Pg 467). There are several fascinating aspects of language, it is a form of communication, which interprets information and passes messages from one person to another. For each individual language is different this can be influenced by cultural backgrounds and beliefs, different communities and also the individuals’ capabilities. Language is not just speaking to a person verbally, it can be in the form of writing, reading, listening and even body language. Language is changing all the time due to technology, for example mobile telephones and computers and the effect they have on our communication skills. The positive …show more content…
People from different parts of the world may use different dialects and accents of English for example Aboriginal English and British English. Interactive behaviours may also be different in different countries due to cultural acceptance, for example Eye contact can be a sign of disrespect in cultures such as African Americans although European Americans believe it is a sign that the person is listening intently (McDevitt and Omrod, …show more content…
At this stage, they may be learning more than one language and it may take them longer to speak. They will notice that although they use the English language at school, they may use another variation of English or completely different language at home. Teachers will need to become aware of these cultural backgrounds to build on the children’s strengths (Fellows & Oakes, 2010).
Getting older, the children will come into contact with other different sources which will encourage them to notice the formality in speaking. When speaking to their friends they are able to speak informally, for example high fiving instead of saying ‘Hello’ rather than to a teacher where they will need to answer ‘Yes, Miss, No Miss’.
A school, the children will learn to write what they are thinking, using a whole new way to explore their language skills. ‘Literacy is applied language’ (Winch, Ross- Johnston, March, Ljungdahl & Holliday, 2010). They will need to be doing this throughout their whole school experience. Once doing this, they will be able to empower themselves by writing about themselves to express their