A 10 lesson unit comprising of a 74 slide PowerPoint and 10 different worksheets (8 include a transcript for analysis) exploring the topic of spoken language analysis and a summary terminology and theory sheet. This unit can be used for any exam board.
Each lesson includes a starting discussion prompt which acts as a learning objective, detailed notes on the theories and terminology listed below, a worksheet containing a transcript (or revision cards for lesson 10), and a homework task. The following theories and terminology are covered:
– Pre-verbal stages of CLA including reduplicated, variegated and jargon babbling
– Lexical and grammatical stages of CLA
– Nelson – Categories of first words (1973)
– Reduplication/ diminuitives/ addition/ substitution/ assimilation/ deletion/ consonant cluster reduction
– Gestalt expressions/ content and function words
– Noun bias –Bloom (2001)
– Language Acquisition Device (LAD) and Universal Grammar –Chomsky (1965)
– Virtuous errors/overextension/Underextension
– ‘Fis’ Phenomenon –Berko and Brown (1960)
– The Wug Test –Berko Gleason (1958)
– Pivot Schema –Braine (1973)
– Semantic Development –Brown (1973)
– The Acquisition of the System of Negation in Children’s Speech and Stages of Pronoun Acquisition –Bellugi (1967)
– Formation of questions –Brown (1968)
– Behaviourism –Skinner (1957)
– Social Learning Theory –Bandura (1977)
– A usage-based approach to learning language –Ibbotson (2009)
– Stages of Cognitive Development –Piaget (1936)
– Learning as a social process –Vygotsky (1930)
– Criticisms of Piaget’s Theory – Repacholi and Gopnik (1997) and Lewis and Ramsay (2004)
– Social Interactionism and LASS – Bruner (1983)
– Functions of Children’s Language – Halliday (1975)
– Functions of Children’s Language – Dore (1975)
– How a lack of social interactionism affects language learning – Pinker (1994) and Kuhl (2010)
– Child Directed Speech and its features
The final lesson is a consolidation activity complete with guided revision cards. Alternatively, you could use an app such as Quizlet so that the students could produce digital revision resources.
