Childrens Learning :: Language Learning Essays

Linguistics is the scientific study of language. It endeavours to answer the question – what is language and how is it represented in the mind? Language is a system of symbols and rules; exclusive in its form to human beings that enables us to communicate. Symbols are things that stand for other things: words, either written or spoken, are symbols and the rules specify how words are ordered to form sentences. Language symbols are arbitrary, with no necessary connection between the symbol, be it word or gesture, and the object or idea to which it refers. For example, if one wanted to construct a new word for ‘tree’, they could use almost any legitimate combination of sounds that are not already being used for other purposes. However, symbols must be used systematically for effective communication to occur. The arbitrary symbol system must be shared; for communication to take place at least two people must have access to the system. There are a number of dimensions to language acquisition and development and each stage occurs chronologically. These are as follows:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Phonology – study of the sound patterns of language. It is concerned with how sounds or ‘phonemes’ are organised and examines what happens to speech sounds when they are combined to form words and how these sounds interact with each other. It endeavours to explain what these phonological processes are in terms of formal rules.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Semantics – is our knowledge of word meanings and how we acquire vocabulary. The semantic component is made up of morphemes, the smallest units of meaning that may be combined with each other to make up words. For example, the word ‘paper’ and ‘s’ are two morphemes that make up the word ‘papers’.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Syntax – syntax is the study of sentence structure. It attempts to describe what is grammatical in a particular language in terms of rules. These rules detail an underlying structure and a transformational process. The underlying structure for English, for example, would have a subject-verb-object sentence order (‘James kicked the football’) and the transformational process would allow an alteration of the word order, which could produce something like ‘the football was kicked by James.’ The syntactic component consists of the rules that enable us to combine morphemes into sentences. As soon as a child uses two morphemes together as in ‘more juice’, he or she is using a syntactic rule about how morphemes are combined to convey meaning.

Citizenship and Governance

Every individual contributes to the making and unmaking of governments and society. While certain individuals don't necessarily engage in activities which contribute to the interests of the society they live in and governments which preside over it, most don't exactly contribute to the detriment of the system and institutions which they belong to either.In response to Aristotle's idea of what a citizen is and should constitute, in which he pronounces that one is only to be identified as such if he or she has the capacity and time for governance; I believe it overlooks other relevant duties and responsibilities an individual has and will continually have, as well as the multi-dimensional aspects of humanity which need not solely be confined to the instance of keeping to strictures and to public governance.I believe that as a working wife and mother, I reserve the right to be afforded the term â€Å"citizen;† as do every parent who has to juggle domestic and familial duties with career and paid work. The bulk of necessary responsibilities and obligations which fall on people such as myself discounts me from finding the time or capacity to engage in matters concerning national governance, but that shouldn't deprive me of being acknowledged as a citizen of this country.The necessary duties and obligations I may have to society and to government is necessarily fulfilled in looking after my children, and ensuring that they grow up to be responsible citizens and individuals like myself; and by participating in the work force or labor system, I don't believe my effort falls short of what is to be generally expected of any and every individual in this country.Ultimately, there's more than one thing to consider when it comes to regarding and acknowledging an individual's apparent â€Å"citizenship† and significance to his or her country; and it is not, and should not be confined solely to one's involvement in public governance.

Piaget Of The Child Theories Of Development Essay

In the â€Å"Study of the Child: Theories of Development I† (Learning Seed, 1997), according to Vygotsky, the cognitive development in children is in direct relationship, and dependent on interaction with others. (Feldman 2010, pg. 20). Vygotsky believed to truly understand cognitive development; a child’s social and cultural experiences must be considered. Piaget believes theorists that focus on the mind are called cognitive theorists. Piaget was most interested in how children think. Piaget describes stages of cognitive development stages that occur in succession always in the same order from the reflexive movements of very youthful infants to the trial-and-error approach for adolescent children, to the thought-out reasoning of the early adolescent (Jean Piaget, 1896-1980). Erik Erikson believed behavior as more related to feelings than mind. He stated that â€Å"feelings are the major focus of people who follow the psychoanalytical theory of development(Erikson 1902-1994). Erik Erikson was a student to Sigmund Freud, and the concerned were with what s hidden deep in the psyche and in the inner recesses of the heart. Erikson though he focused on feelings in psychoanalytic tradition also believed in the effect of culture on development. Lev Vygotsky believed that children imitate their parents. The example he used was spanking, which can cause more problems than it solves. Hitting children who hit cause them to hit more not less according to social learning theory. Mind,Show MoreRelatedPiaget And Vygotsky And Theories Of Child Development2299 Words   |  10 Pagesthe subject of education and child development there are many different philosophers who each had their own theories, about the subject. This paper will focus on Piaget and Vygotsky and their theories of child development and how they are similar and/or different. It will also discuss how the role of cultural context in child development is presented in each of their theories of child development. Piaget believed that children are active in constructing their development and their understanding ofRead MorePiaget s Theory On Child Development920 Words   |  4 PagesChildren are not simply small adults who are still growing; they learn differently and experience the world in a variation of ways that opposes adult reasoning. Piaget’s theory on child development asserts that there are four stages of cognitive development: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Piaget also suggested that human thinking is arranged into schemes, â€Å"organized mental patterns that represent behaviors and actions† (Feldman, 2015, p. 17). These schemes areRead MorePiaget s Theory Of Child Development1085 Words   |  5 PagesTheories of Child Development Child development is the study of how a child’s behavior and thought processes affect their ability to develop at the proper rate. There are many factors to be considered when referring to the development of a child as children are so easily moldable. A child starts out with a blank slate and from then on their experiences, their social groups, parents, environment and so much more will take part in how they will develop. Two very influential people in psychology, SigmundRead MorePiaget s Theory Of Child Development Essay1597 Words   |  7 Pageschildren’s development and developing a proper classroom and lesson plan well help you to properly prepare and help each student in your center. Throughout this paper we will summarize Piaget’s Stage Theory, identify and describe the developmental characteristics of the age group of 2-4 years old, design and describe the physical layout of facility or classroom that aligns with Piaget’s Stage Theory, and create an activity for each developmental domain. Jean Piaget is one of the pioneers to child developmentRead MorePiaget Of A Child s Brain Development Theory1057 Words   |  5 Pagesare constantly learning about new theories and expanding the knowledge on those that we already know, about the physical and mental development of Children. Through past and present theorists, we are shown whole new aspects of how a child develops to make up the being that they become. Through Piaget’s ‘Congnitive development theory’ we are shown the stages of a child’s brain development with a strong focus on the ages newborn – 11 years onwards. Piaget’s main theory is that children are able to constructRead MoreIntellectual Development Child Theory by Theorist, Piaget644 Words   |  3 Pages High/ Scope is based upon a well-known child theorist Piaget and his intellectual development theory. His theory promotes realistic educational experiences geared to the child’s current stages of development, the constructive process of learning necessary to broaden emerging intellectual and social skills. (Morrison, 2010). High/scope helps teacher become more effective in their classrooms. Researchers have linked early intervention with infants to brain enhancement. By having directRead MoreJean Piaget s Theory On Child Development2312 Words   |  10 PagesJean Piaget has introduced theories on child development from 1896-1980. He is the the most cited and most influential on cognitive development. Piaget is the foundation of current child developmental in psychology. His inspiration came from observing children’s as he even used his own. His development of the cognitive deployment focused on mental process, remembering, believing and reasoning. To help explain his theory, Piaget’s came up with Stage-bound cognitive development. â€Å"Stage-bound isRead MoreJean Piaget‚Äà ´s theory of child development along with effective learning methods and teaching strategies used in secondary school classrooms with particular attention paid to science5758 Words   |  24 PagesLiterature Review Jean Piaget’s theory of child development along with effective learning methods and teaching strategies used in secondary school classrooms with particular attention paid to science A child’s developing mind1,2,3 Without a doubt, Jean Piaget (1896-1980) was one of the most influential child psychologists. In his day he was at the forefront of research into child psychology and even today, his word is cited by many in the profession. The constructivist theory (see later) in particularRead MoreJean Piaget And Vygotsky s Theory On Children s Cognitive Development1507 Words   |  7 Pagespsychologists, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, have shared their knowledge on children’s cognitive development. Both psychologists had their own vision of what stimulates and helps a child grow. Jean Piaget s theory was shaped through the thinking and understanding of how knowledge is built through a series of four stages; preoperational, sensorimotor, formal operational and concrete operational. He believed that the development was with the child themselves. On the contrary, Lev Vygotsky s theory is shapedRead MorePiaget And Vygotsky s Theories Essay890 Words   |  4 Pagesdistinct yet, unique theories developed by Piaget and Vygotsky. These two theories are similar in various ways but also have unlike qualities, as well. Loudin (2012) suggests that even though Piaget and Vygotsky’s understanding and teaching of their theories are similar but stresses to point out that there is a distinct quality that one cannot see and wishes to share with readers. Other articles will discuss their level of understanding of either Piaget’s or Vygotsky’s theories. This paper examines