Question 1

A rapid increase in an infant's vocabulary that usually begins at around 18 is known as

Accepted Answer

A rapid increase in an infant's vocabulary that usually begins at around 18 months is known as a vocabulary spurt. This is when the child begins to learn new words at a faster rate and starts putting them together to form phrases and simple sentences. Underextension and overextension refer to errors in language development and telegraphic speech refers to the simplified way in which children initially express themselves.

Question 2

Natalie has just turned 2 years old. About how many words are in her speaking vocabulary?

Accepted Answer

At 2 years old, a child's speaking vocabulary typically consists of around 200 words.

Question 3

Jenny is at the zoo with her family. She points to each animal and says "doggie." This illustrates

Accepted Answer

Overextension is when a child uses a word too broadly and applies it to things that do not fit the category. In this case, Jenny is using the word "doggie" to refer to all the animals at the zoo, which is an example of overextension.

Question 4

According to Kuhl's research, at birth, infants are "citizens of the world," able to recognize sounds regardless of the syllables' language. At what age do infants get better at perceiving the changes in sounds in their own language?

Accepted Answer

Kuhl's research suggests that infants at birth are able to recognize sounds regardless of the syllables' language. However, by 6-12 months, infants become more adept at perceiving the changes in sounds in their own language, indicating that they have begun to focus on the language to which they are most frequently exposed.

Question 5

Between 18 months and 6 years of age, young children learn about

Accepted Answer

Young children learn about 1 word every waking hour, which translates to a rapid vocabulary acquisition during this developmental period.

Question 6

Children's ability to make an initial connection between a word and its referent after only a limited exposure to the word is called

Accepted Answer

The ability of children to make an initial connection between a word and its referent after only a limited exposure to the word is known as fast mapping. This ability helps children acquire new words quickly and efficiently. Option A refers to a stage in language development, option B and C are examples of errors made during the language learning process.

Question 7

Anthony holds up his glass and says, "Milk gone." These types of utterances are referred to as

Accepted Answer

This is an example of telegraphic speech, which is a stage of language development where children use short and simple phrases that omit function words like "is" or "the". "Milk gone" contains only the essential words needed to convey the message. Overextension and underextension refer to errors in word use, and a vocabulary spurt is a sudden increase in the number of words a child knows.

Question 8

Berko's study demonstrated children's understanding of morphological rules. It is impressive to note that the children in the study

Accepted Answer

Berko's study demonstrated that children were able to use morphological rules from words they had heard before and apply them to words they had never heard before. This shows an understanding of the underlying structure of language and the ability to generalize rules to new words.

Question 9

Telegraphic speech is characterized by

Accepted Answer

Telegraphic speech is typically defined as short, simple, and concise language that lacks grammatical markers, making it more similar to the concise style of communication used in telegrams. It often includes only the most important words or phrases necessary to convey a message, and may omit articles, prepositions, and conjugations. While telegraphic speech may include two-word utterances (such as "more milk" or "go home"), it is not limited to this form and may also include short, complete sentences. However, the most essential characteristic of telegraphic speech is the use of short, precise words without grammatical markers.

Question 10

A pragmatic characteristic of a 4-year-old is that they

Accepted Answer

A pragmatic characteristic of a 4-year-old is that they change their speech style to accommodate the listener. For example, they may use simpler language when talking to a younger child or adjust their tone when speaking to an adult. They are becoming more aware of the social rules of conversation and adapting their communication accordingly.

Question 11

According to Berninger, children who enter elementary school with a small vocabulary are at risk for developing

Accepted Answer

Berninger's research suggests that children with a small vocabulary are at risk for developing reading problems.

Question 12

As children move beyond two-word utterances, they begin using plural and possessive nouns, appropriate verb endings, prepositions, articles, and various forms of the verb "to be." This is evidence that the children

Accepted Answer

The use of plural and possessive nouns, appropriate verb endings, prepositions, articles, and various forms of the verb "to be" demonstrates that the children have acquired knowledge of morphological rules, which govern the formation of words and their inflections. This suggests that the children have a deeper understanding of the structure of language beyond just acquiring new vocabulary or being able to produce sounds correctly, indicating that they are developing their understanding of grammar.

Question 13

Preschool children learn and apply syntax rules. The grammatical error we observe in the question "When we are going outside?" is an example of difficulty with mastering

Accepted Answer

The grammatical error in the question "When we are going outside?" demonstrates a difficulty with the auxiliary-inversion rule, which involves inverting the subject and the auxiliary verb in questions (correct form: "When are we going outside?").

Question 14

At what age can Emily expect her child to say, "Get shoes"?

Accepted Answer

Children typically begin to combine words into simple sentences, like "Get shoes," between 18 to 24 months. This developmental milestone reflects their growing understanding of language and ability to express more complex ideas.

Question 15

What is the function of early vocalization (crying, cooing, and babbling) for infants?

Accepted Answer

Early vocalization serves multiple functions for infants. Crying is a form of communication that signals distress or a need for attention. Cooing and babbling are ways for infants to practice making sounds and eventually learn language. These vocalizations can also attract attention from caregivers, leading to increased interaction and socialization.

Question 16

Research on the ability of infants to understand words indicates that infants

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that infants can understand words well before they can produce them, with some studies indicating that this ability can develop as early as 6 months of age.

Question 17

A child's first words mainly consist of

Accepted Answer

First words typically include terms for important people (like "mama" or "dada"), familiar animals (like "dog" or "cat"), vehicles (like "car"), food items (like "milk" or "juice"), parts of the body (like "nose" or "eye"), and common greeting terms (like "hi" or "bye"). These categories cover the immediate and tangible aspects of a child's environment, making them among the first concepts a child learns to verbalize.

Question 18

When a child struggles with speech and language development, the professional who provides therapeutic intervention is a(n)

Accepted Answer

A speech therapist is a trained professional who provides therapeutic intervention for those who struggle with speech and language development. A pediatrician is a medical doctor who specializes in children's health, but is not trained to provide speech therapy. An elocutionist is someone who specializes in public speaking, but not necessarily in speech therapy. An English tutor may assist with reading and writing skills, but may not be trained to address speech and language development.

Question 19

Which of the following statements about language development is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

Research shows that infants typically understand words before they are able to produce them. This is because receptive language (understanding language) develops before expressive language (using language). Infants first begin to understand and distinguish sounds and then associate those sounds with words and meanings. It is not until later that they have enough coordination and control over their muscles to produce those words themselves.

Question 20

Research about the ability of infants to distinguish human speech sounds indicates that

Accepted Answer

Research shows that infants start with the ability to distinguish between all human speech sounds, including those not in their native language. However, as they grow and are exposed more to their native language, they lose the ability to distinguish sounds not relevant to their native language by the end of the first year.

Quiz 9: Language Development