Tuesday 22 November 2016

Jerome Bruner - Interaction

Jerome Bruner's theory is based on how language is acquired through interaction between a child and the care giver.

Child directed speech (CDS) - caregivers use it. Adults change their speech whilst speaking to children.

LAD- language acquisition device- Chomsky
-Bruner says that interaction is the key element

Limitations- In some cultures children are ignored and are not acknowledged. Other parents interact with their children

Child directed speech-
- Phonology
- Pragmatics
- Grammar
- Lexis

Adults when speaking to children. CDS-

Phonology- higher pitched voice, questioning for a response, slower speech, exaggeration

Lexis- Simplified, fewer syllables, concrete nouns, local topics, diminutives (kitty, doggy)

Grammar- simpler constructions, frequent use of imperatives and interrogatives, repetition, simple sentence, personal names instead of pronouns (mummy instead of me), repeated sentence frames e.g. 'that's a', no past tenses

Pragmatics- Lots of gesture and warm body language. 

Bruner says that using the child's name is essential, they will concentrate on what you are saying

CLD- child led discourse- pursuing the child's area of interest, letting them set the discourse

Example that supports Bruner- 

'Interaction' case study: Jim's death parents-

-Little boy growing up with death parents and he tried to learn language from the TV.

-He used non standard syntax e.g. i saw that she a cookie ate   -what he said

He attended language therapy sessions which helped him improve his language and he came to a similar level as other children.

Bruner has three stages of representations:

-Enactive- 0-1 years (movement) e.g. shaking a rattle, sniffing things

-Iconic- 1-6 years (images)

-Symbolic- 7+ years (symbols or codes)



1 comment:

  1. Good overview. Check death/deaf and remember that if 'mummy' is a name it needs a capital, whereas if it is premodified with a determiner e.g. my mummy, his mother, it doesn't need a capital as it is a concrete noun, not a proper noun.

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