SPEECH AND LANGUAGE

Assignment 1

Assignment 1 Speech and Language

Assignment 1: Introduction to Speech and Language

What is language? Language is a natural human abilities in the form of a sound system of arbitrary symbols, agreed upon and used by a group of people to communicate. There are no specific meaning of language. Many definitions of language have been suggested. An English Phonetician and language scholar, Henry Sweet stated, Language is the expression of ideas by means of speech-sounds combined into words. Words are combined into sentences, this combination answering to that of ideas into thoughts. According Keraf (2005:1), there are two definitions of language. The first definition is to express language as a communication tool between members of the community in the form of a symbol of the sound produced by human speech tool and the second definition is language as communication system to utilizing vowel symbols in arbitrary nature. Other definition by Fodor (1974), language is a system of symbols and signs. System of symbols meant that the symbol have relationship with unconventional meaning. While the system have the relationship of sign and meaning unconventional, but the system is determined by the nature or particular characteristics possessed substance in certain. This definition is similar to Owen (2006) which emphasized language can be defined as a socially shared combinations of those symbols and rule governed combinations of those symbols. This definition is strengthen by Bernard Bloch who said language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols by means of which a social group co-operates. Another definition state that language is a system of symbols that are meaningful and sound produced by a speech tool that has arbitrary and conventional nature, that can be used as a tool to communicate to a group of people to express their feelings and thoughts, Wibowo (2001). However according to Bolinger (1981), Language has a phoneme system, which is formed by morpheme and syntax.

Khairul Hafizd/Nasha Amalina A2 March 2014

Assignment 1 Speech and Language

In summary language is a system formed by a number of components that can be patterned on a regular basis and methods. The system language consists of symbols, and each symbol represents a language referred to the meaning or concept. This is because each symbol sounds that have or express a concept or meaning. Thus it can be concluded that every language utterances have meaning.

Discuss and Analyze the Components of Language There are different types of components that for the children development. Children progress through developmental stages through each component. The first component of language is phonology. Phonology is the study of sound (Greek). It is the system of rules about sounds and sound combination for a language. They are varieties of sounds that can be creating with the alphabet. For example letter t which gives us the sound /t/ as in table. We also have the letter h which gives us the sound /h/ as in hot. When we combine them, we will get different sound. Other than that is morphology, it refers to the rules combining morphemes. Students that have problems in this area cant use inflectional endings in their words.This component of language focuses on the internal structure of words. Morphemes are the smallest unit of linguistic meaning or function. For example, each of this word hot and dog is single morphene but when they put the word together it will be another word which is hotdog, so this word will become two morpheme. Sometimes morpheme can make the word become other meaning. Other than that, this morpheme can breakdown words and the other morpheme so that it can form the new words. They are different types of morpheme which is. Free morphemes, it can independent form for example house, work, stand and you. Next is bound morphemes, they cannot stand alone and this morphemes need to attach with other morphemes.

Khairul Hafizd/Nasha Amalina A2 March 2014

Assignment 1 Speech and Language

Other component of language is semantic. Semantic is a branch of language refers to meaning. They are lot of words in English have different meaning. For example ground, it can have different meaning such as surface, Ground is a good example. It could mean a solid surface, ground as punishment or stand ones ground as is firm. Learners of other language need to get semantics of that language if they want to communicate with other because meaning is a big part of language. Teacher also has to paraphrase and explain the meaning. Another component is pragmatic. Pragmatic can be defined as, the person will make choice of language in the social interaction. Its focuses on how language can be affected by context. The speakers will know what to say according to the situation and the person that they were speaking. For example, pass the ketchup to a close friend and will you pass the ketchup to someone that they unfamiliar with. Last component is Syntax. Syntax is most related to grammar. It has to do with sentences and their structure. It has right order to create meaningful language. The basic sentence in English contains of subject, verb and object and it has in sentence: I ride a bicycle. To teach second language children, teacher needs to use simple sentence whenever possible so that the children can avoid confusion. Teacher can use complex sentences but they need to simplify it so that it can relate to key topics. Simplify sentences whenever possible. Teachers can use complex sentences but they are encouraged to follow them with simplified language particularly when they relate to key topics.

Process and Sequence of Speech and Language Development The brain is composed of two parts hemisphere, namely right hemisphere and left hemisphere and linked by the corpus callosum (Chaer, 2009). Speech-language functions are centralized at left hemisphere. Left hemisphere also known as language dominant brain because it has an important role in language and verbal nature. Instead,

Khairul Hafizd/Nasha Amalina A2 March 2014

Assignment 1 Speech and Language

right hemisphere important for the function of emotion, gesture, whether emotional or verbal. Language acquisition in children refers to the way language can be mastered by a child. According S.Simanjuntak (1987) the acquisition of language (language acquisition) is the processes that occur in the brain of a child when acquiring language. Since its birth, the child is said to be able to analyze, create, and formulate a rule language. According to Jean Piaget's theory, all the children are going through the same level of mental development. However, the efficiency rate and delay a child's entry and through the mental development may differ between them. At the age of 0 to 2 years old, the infant cannot interact clearly with others. Infant can cry to express feelings and desire. Until the age of one month, the sound out of his mouth are considered as speech and limited to weeping only. When the infant get older one and a half months to three and a half months, they start to produce sound 'cooing'. Cooing and gurgling can produce vowel-like sounds such as ooooo and ahhhh that show satisfaction or happiness. At this time, they can respond to a sound. For example, infant would turn their head and eyes will be looking towards the sound of their mother. When the baby reach six months old, cooing action will become less but the baby's start repeating single syllables that carrying a particular meaning. Like ma -ma, pa-pa, and su-su. This is called Babling stage. This stage of language development is the basis of the tendency for baby to acquire language. Babbling sounds made by babies are similar whatever language their parents speak. The function of babbling is to help babies practice speech-like sounds and intonation patterns and to gain control of their speech organs. This training will help speed up the learning process by completing the basic skills necessary to control the speech mechanism that more complicated. At the age of 12 months to 18 months, children are able to speak a word. Therefore, the baby should be given the opportunity to speak to emotions is not interrupted. But at this time they are starting to learn to walk. So, they are more focused on walk and forget about language for a while. When they are able to walk, they will focus on the development of language. Yet only a few words are learned until the age of

Khairul Hafizd/Nasha Amalina A2 March 2014

Assignment 1 Speech and Language

18 months, they are able to use words when playing or alone. So at this time they can already do simple instructions. This stage is called Holophrastic Stage. They begin to utter the first words without syntax to name an object, ask for something, insist action and also to create something complicated. Speech starts with simple monosyllabic words or recurrence. Then gradually developed into different single syllable pattern or tried to list a few syllables. For example Da-ddy Milk which indicate the baby is hungry and want some milk. At age 18 months and above children entered telegraphic stage or two or three word stage. Children at this stage are able to clearly mention two or three words. The combination of short words either nouns, verbs or adjectives, gradually developed to form short sentences consist of two or three words. The aim of this stage is to ask something, to express complex needs, to tell something or answering question. Example of telegraphic stage are cookies all gone, mama Go Park. On average, children will learn 10 words a day from the time they are 18 months old. At 2 years old, the child's language development will play a bigger role for this aspect in relation to the behavior, events, social adaptations and reactions of each child. However their word and sentence arrangement of the language is still not perfect. When a child is 3 years old, some changes in the acquisition of the language, they use more vocabulary and complex sentence structure. At this stage children start to arrange the sentence structured when to say something. At the age of 5 years, receiving more effective language. Children use language more specific but less critical and self-confident. At this ages, children gradually combine words in meaningful order and use more complex structures but with some basic grammatical errors. In addition, children also began to read something. Therefore, parents should encourage their children mixing with outsiders like to play with their peers outside.

Khairul Hafizd/Nasha Amalina A2 March 2014

Assignment 1 Speech and Language

Examine the relationships between language and childrens development, particularly cognitive, social and emotional development Development is the pattern of changes that occur throughout life. Developments occur in various domains, such as biological, social, emotional, and cognitive. Various study has shown that there are strong relation between language and childrens development in cognitive, social and emotional. In early ages, children use schema, assimilation and accommodation to interactively with world surround them. A schema is a concept or framework that exist in minds of individuals who used to organize and interpreting information. A child of six years old can tell that five small toys can be stored in a small box shows him already understand the concept of schematic figures or amounts. According to Piagets cognitive learning theory, schema become is one important aspect in childrens language development. Schema enable children ti analyze and interpret the language that being learn. For example, a mother tell her boy that cow has four legs and a tail. The boy will build schema in his brain that animal that has four legs and a tail is cow. During active learning, children who encounter new experience will undergoes process of assimilation and accommodation of information. Adaptation is the process of adapting schemes from the experience with each other to maintain the equilibrium. The accommodation is an adaptation of the scheme which is modified in response to new experiences. For example one day the boy who just learn the scheme cow goes to animal farm and found goats. From his observation, he found that the goat had four legs and a tail so he assume that is a cow. But the mother tell him that is a goat, when the mother told him that goat is smaller than cow and goat have horn the boy start to build new schemes. At this state the boy undergo the process of accommodation and assimilation to maintain the equilibrium of information. The process of assimilation and accommodation together to promote cognitive development in children s language. Children also learn language through social interaction. From birth, they are surrounded by older people who talk and interact with them. This communication plays

Khairul Hafizd/Nasha Amalina A2 March 2014

Assignment 1 Speech and Language

important part in developing baby speech and their first language. Adults love to coo at babies and this baby talk actually this help the babies expose to language. Interactionist believe that children are born with the brain that have ability to pick up language as well as desire to communicate. According to Vygotsky, humans use language that develop from culture, such as speech and writing to mediate their social environment. Initially, children develop language to serve solely as social function and ways to communicate. (Reutzel and Cooter, 2000). The relation between language and emotion is the term of how language help children to describe emotional experience or in other word, feeling. Children start to use the word such as happy, sad, or scared when they reach 2 years old and above (Bloom 1998). Initially, infant will show emotional experience through facial expression such as cries, whines, whimpers, smile and laugh. The mother will help the child to name the emotion that they showing and talk about the situation of the reason for the childs feeling. Dont be sad and are you angry with me? is the common interaction between mother and children to describe about emotion. Emotion is also one type of communication by a toddlers to express their desire. For example, baby will cry when they are hungry or scared. Children learn language initially because they strive to connect with other persons to share what they are feeling and thinking (Bloom 1998). Children who began to learn words early spent more time in neutral affect, whereas children who learned words somewhat later expressed more emotion instead (Bretherton 1986).

Khairul Hafizd/Nasha Amalina A2 March 2014

Assignment 1 Speech and Language

Discuss Issues Related To Learning in Schools Context, Particularly In Relation To Teaching, the Curriculum and Literacy

Educational equities (Gov Policy) In the implementation of the Education Development 2001-2010, each educational institution under the Ministry of Education (MOE) will be identified as having adequate effective infrastructure and quality of the implementation of effective curriculum and cocurriculum . Therefore, inputs that include teacher education , the provision of financial , material and equipment instruction and support program to be distributed fairly to all schools to narrow the gap between Smart Schools ( SBP, Kluster ) and the school's least advantaged. However, after about seven years of the program, there are still too many schools in Malaysia that has not receive the facilities promised. This rise a number of issues associated with equity or allocation provided by the MOE is not sufficient for the implementation of teaching and learning in schools. For example, the ministry did not provide the needed infrastructure, such as computer room, laboratory that have specialized equipment especially rural schools. In addition, other facilities such as teaching and learning resources and equipment also lacking in rural area. The implementation PPSMI Program In the motion with the goal to produce students who are "world class", the MOE has also implemented the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics and Science in English (PPSMI). However, the use of English as the medium of mathematics has received a negative response from people. This is because the use of a foreign language is not only detrimental to the national language as a language of science, but also to destroy the reputation of students, particularly in rural areas. They learn through the medium of which they do not understand. Communication is not effective in studies certainly have adverse effects.

Khairul Hafizd/Nasha Amalina A2 March 2014

Assignment 1 Speech and Language

Lacks of Educators Lack of skilled trainers become an issue in the implementation of effective education system. According to statistics released by the Education Development Planning (BPPDP) Ministry of Education a numbers of teachers having trouble placing in rural areas, particularly in remote areas and islands. Most schools in rural and island gets less experienced teachers that lack of training. These conditions also caused mismatch in the distribution of teachers according to their options. Teachers are not options to teach critical subjects like Mathematics, Science and English to meet the needs of students. Due to lack of experience and knowledge on the subject as the wisdom of teachers in imparting knowledge to the students began to dispute.

Khairul Hafizd/Nasha Amalina A2 March 2014

Assignment 1 Speech and Language

REFRENCES Abdullah Yusoff dan Che Rabiah Mohamed (1995). Teori Pemelajaran Sosial dan Pemerolehan Bahasa Pertama. Jurnal Dewan Bahasa, Mei. 456-464. Bloom, L. 1993. The transition from infancy to language. Cambridge [England]: Cambridge University Press. Cooter, R. B., & Reutzel, D. R. (2004). Teaching children to read: Putting the pieces together. Upper Sadle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Ingram, D. (1989). First language Acquisition. Cambridge University Press. Language ages and stages [onine]. Available: http://members.tripod.com/ Caroline-Bowen/devel2.htm [Accessed: Mac 2014] Thiemann K, Warren SF. Programs supporting young children's language development. In: Tremblay RE, Barr RG, Peters RDeV, eds. Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development [online]. Montreal, Quebec: Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development; 2004:1-11. Available at: http://www.childencyclopedia.com/documents/Thiemann-WarrenANGxp.pdf. [Accessed: Mac 2014] Quizlet.com. 2014. Five Components of Language Learning and Deficits. [online] Available at: http://quizlet.com/18574901/five-components-of-language-learning-and-deficits-flash-cards/ [Accessed: Mac 2014].

Khairul Hafizd/Nasha Amalina A2 March 2014