Application: Language Development Face-to-Face
Observations and Interviews
As you have experienced in your coursework, reading about young children and their development can build knowledge and understanding. However, opportunities to observe children firsthand at different stages of language development will help deepen your learning experience. With regard to such topics as bilingualism and atypical language development, interviewing adults who can share their experiences or expert knowledge can broaden your understanding and sensitivity to the complexity of language learning.
Your Application Assignment for the course is divided into four parts. In preparation, read the following overview of the observations and interviews you will be conducting over the next 5 weeks. Use this week to set up specific dates and times for these experiences to take place.
Part 1 (Week 2): Observing an Infant or Toddler Interacting with an Important Adult
You will observe a young child in one of the three stages of language development: prelinguistic (using sounds and gestures), phonological (transitioning from sounds to speech), or semantic (learning the meanings of words). Then, you will interview the parent or caregiver about the child’s language development. The goal of this assignment is to observe the child’s means of communication and apply what you have learned about how important adults can foster language development in very young children.
Identify children to observe (Weeks 2 and 3). Consider the goal of each observation assignment when you choose the child and adult. In each case, be sure the adult is comfortable with the observation and understands the purpose, which is for your educational development. Obtain permission for the observation and agree on a specific date and time. (Keep in mind, you will need at least 20 minutes to observe.) For Week 2, plan time to interview the adult about the child’s language. For Weeks
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