24
Chapter 2
A DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVE
ON LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Communication is the essence of human life.
Janice LightIntroduction to language development
The acquisition of language is perhaps the most remarkable
milestone in early childhood development. Parents and other
caregivers often wait expectantly for their child’s first word.
During the first year of life, before the seemingly miraculous
appearance of first words, infants develop several notable
capacities that precede and are necessary for language to emerge.
Before proceeding with the models and stages of language
acquisition, it must be noted that all aspects of children’s
development are influenced by their culture (Shonkoff and
Phillips 2000), which consists of rules for what is considered
appropriate behavior. Culture is learned and used by individuals,
including children and their caregivers, as a consequence of
belonging to a particular community or group (Saville-Troike
2003). Culture includes values and beliefs that influence all
aspects of development—feeding, sleep patterns, parental
responsiveness to crying, and role expectations of different family
members including parents and grandparents. Speech, language,