First language acquisition refers to the process by which a child learns their native language during early childhood. This process occurs naturally and effortlessly for most children. Here are some general characteristics of first language acquisition:
Innate ability: Children are born with an innate capacity to acquire language. They have a natural predisposition to learn and understand the structure and rules of their native language.
Critical period: There is a critical period for language acquisition, typically occurring from birth to around puberty. During this time, children are most receptive to learning language, and after this period, it becomes more challenging to acquire a new language with native-like proficiency.
Babbling: In the early stages of language development, infants engage in babbling, which involves producing repetitive consonant-vowel sounds (e.g., "ba-ba-ba" or "da-da-da"). Babbling is a crucial prelinguistic stage that helps children experiment with sounds and develop oral motor skills.
One-word stage: After babbling, children progress to the one-word stage, where they begin to use single words to communicate simple ideas, desires, and observations. This stage typically occurs around 12-18 months of age.
Telegraphic speech: During the early two-word stage, children use telegraphic speech, which involves combining two words to form simple phrases (e.g., "more juice" or "big ball"). Non-essential words like articles and prepositions are often omitted.
Overgeneralization: As children start learning grammar and syntax, they may overgeneralize certain rules, applying them too broadly. For example, a child might say "goed" instead of "went" based on the regular past tense form, even though "went" is irregular.
Fast mapping: Children demonstrate the ability to rapidly map new words to their meanings after minimal exposure. They can understand and use new words after encountering them only a few times.
Language milestones: Across cultures, children tend to reach certain language milestones at relatively similar ages. These milestones include the development of vocabulary, sentence structure, and social language skills.
Parental influence: Children's language acquisition is significantly influenced by the linguistic environment they are exposed to, particularly the language used by their parents, caregivers, and other family members.
Language comprehension precedes production: Children typically understand more language than they can produce. They go through a receptive language phase before becoming more expressive.
Error correction: Adults or caregivers often provide subtle correction or recasts when children make grammatical errors. These corrections play a role in shaping the child's language development.
Creativity and productivity: Children display an impressive ability to generate and understand novel sentences that they have never encountered before, showcasing the creative and productive aspects of language acquisition.
It's important to note that while these characteristics generally apply to first language acquisition, individual variations and cultural factors can influence the specific details of the process.