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The Functions of Language for Children

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Throughout history, language-its origins, diversity, and dynamic

nature-has fascinated scholars. Indeed, their fascination has even
been preserved-just as most historical records have been-thanks to
language itself. Undoubtedly, in language humans have their ultimate
means of communication (Whitehead 1996). From the moment they
are born, babies seem to want to communicate. This communication
involves facial expressions, gestures and body language and verbal
and sign language. Language of all kinds uses an agreed code
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which develops according to the cultures in which they arise (Pinker
1994). The rhythms, tone and melody of language are of great
importance as language develops. The gestures and movements of
the face and hands are also extremely important and are all part of Custom Essays
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The child learns to speak slowly through observation. Somebody
makes a special sound when something comes into sight or makes
this noise, or when the baby sees it and looks at it. Then he will make
the same noise himself, and the sound has been found to have an Essay Marking Service
effect. The infant gradually learns that particular sounds are Improve your grades - let our qualified experts advise
intimately connected with certain objects, and that making that sound you on how to improve the overall quality of your own
seems to control it in some way (Barnes 1995). He finds assistance essay. More about our Essay Marking Service
in learning to talk through the observation made by his other senses
and further help is derived from the people around him. Through
language he is being accepted into society very gradually. It is by £5000 No Plagiarism Guarantee!
communicating his own thoughts, or acknowledging those of others, Detect plagiarism in our work and get paid £5000
that he is regarded as making a contribution and of being on equal and a free paper! Learn about our Guarantees!
footing with those around him.

There is much debate whether we are born with the skills and Our Press Articles
abilities necessary for speech or whether we develop them because The Times, The Observer, BBC, ITN News, Sky
of our environment. This is often referred to as the nature versus News, The Independent. Read our press articles
nurture debate (Barnes 1998). There are several theories of how
babies and children acquire language. Some are based on the idea
that learning a language is an instinct and others that children learn
to communicate because they are exposed to language as part of a Most Popular Pages:
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process of socialisation (Pinkers 1994). There is no doubt that
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children are born with a predisposition to learn, talk and listen.
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Children learn to talk partly because they are born genetically
equipped to do so, and partly through the people they meet and

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9/4/2010 English Essays - Functions of Languag…
communicate and socialise with. So what exactly are some of the
functions of language for the child?
The positive relationships and communications between people who
respect each other is one of the most important factors in language
development and in the development of the child's thinking. To be
part of a culture is a need human beings are born with (Barnes
1998). Children therefore need to learn a language in order to
understand themselves and those around them. It is through
language that they communicate with others and share their
experiences. It is also through language that they are able to
represent and express new ideas as well as complex matters.
Children are in difficulty when they are not able to put their feelings
into words or express then in any way (Whitting 1992). This has a
damaging impact of the development of their self-esteem. Talking
about feelings is just as important as talking about idea, and children
who cannot express their feelings often have tantrums or show other
kinds of challenging behaviour.
Language is also important for a child from the point of view of
talking to oneself. Children find it helpful to think through different
ideas and they like to talk about their feelings. They also need to talk
through their frustrations when things are not going according to
plan. They need to organise their thoughts and plan what they are
going to do. Just as many adults talk to themselves when they think
things over, so too do children. When we look at language
development, we can see that a young child thinks from their own
point of view. Some psychologists have suggested that thinking is not
possible without language, and language and thought are often
considered to be particularly closely linked (Lee et al 1995).
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Language development is part of symbolic behaviour and is often

called the period of symbolic development. Language development is Our Affiliate Program!
deeply linked with the processes of representation and Sell our custom essays and get 15% commission!
communication which means it makes is easier to represent (keep Affiliate Program For Essay Resellers
hold of experiences) and to communicate (to share these
experiences with others). Richard Dawkins, the biologist, refers to
language as part of the social evolution of human beings. The desire Want to earn £5000 per month!
to communicate starts at birth. Babies learn quickly how to get their We are always looking for good research writers!
needs met by cooing, crying and making eye contact with their Become our research writer
primary carers. Language and the ability to communicate can
radically affect nearly all areas of a child's overall development.
Language is considered to be the main tool by which a child is able
to develop their thought processes. Words are often the tool by Customer testimonials
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which they store information. Being able to use language allows
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children to express themselves and communicate in a variety of ways
and because of this, there is a strong link between children's social
skills and their language skills. The need for language and
communication skills in everyday life means that in practice, where Sign up for our Newsletter
children have some communication difficulty, their social Type your email here! Subscribe
development may be affected (Walley 1994).

So how do infants accomplish the feat of learning to speak, which is

so important for the rest of their cognitive development? Primarily
through verbal interactions with the parents. Infants especially
respond to human stimuli. A baby imitates its mother's voice
although, interestingly, babies do not imitate all sounds. For
example, the baby does not insert the cradle squeaks that have
occurred simultaneously with the mother's speech. Parents of varied
cultural backgrounds speak to their babies using the same rhythmic
speaking style that some call "Parentese." As the parent speaks in a
loving way, the heart rate of the infant increases (Bartholomew et al
1999). This is believed to assist in hastening the connection between
words and the objects they denote. Without saying a word, the infant
is calling out: "Talk to me!" It is important to understand that although
most children vary in their rate of development, there seems to be a
pattern to the way children learn language and communication skills
from their carers.

When we study human language we are approaching what some

might call the 'human essence,' the distinctive qualities of mind that
are, so far as we know, unique to man (Holt 1991). Children as

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9/4/2010 English Essays - Functions of Languag…
young as 3 years of age already possess a remarkable knowledge of
language structure and syntax which is so complex and precise that it
must challenge any known learning theory to account for its
acquisition. (Oates 1995)

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