Introduction
In this assignment, we look at the speech, language, and social interaction of two 4-year-old kids. One youngster seems to be growing normally, whilst the other shows symptoms of Childhood Apraxia of Speech, a disorder that can impact numerous facets of language output. To understand their linguistic development and communication capabilities, we examine their phonological, semantic, syntactic, morphological, pragmatic, and kinesic capacities. Through this analysis, we hope to draw attention to the variety of language development pathways and emphasize the value of early intervention and tailored support in fostering children’s effective communication skills. We do this in recognition of the crucial role that language plays in influencing children’s social and cognitive development.
Phonology
The two 4-year-old children’s speech intelligibility and phonetic confusions vary noticeably when comparing their phonologies from the given videos. As stated by Palonen (2016), “Just some casual dinner conversation with a 4-year old,” demonstrates phonological skills appropriate for the child’s age. She produces the majority of phonemes accurately, and her speech is usually understandable and unambiguous (Reed, 2018, p. 8). She has proper consonant and vowel articulation, which produces a speech pattern that is simple for her discussion partner and the audience to comprehend. In “Childhood Apraxia of Speech: 4 Year Old Girl,” phonological development is problematic (UrbanKowboy, 2010). Her ability to be understood while speaking is severely impaired. She has trouble accurately generating and arranging sounds. Throughout the video, her articulation mistakes are audible. She often substitutes or omits phonemes. She answers with “Great,” for instance, when prompted to pronounce “Lacey,” demonstrating phonetic difficulty between the two words’ beginning consonants.
Semantics
By analyzing the semantic relationships between words of the two 4-year-old kids from the above films, we can see variations in the breadth and intricacy of their semantic links. When someone says, “Just some casual dinner conversation with a 4-year old,” they are demonstrating semantic growth in line with age (Palonen, 2016). She has the capacity to comprehend and use words in a variety of settings and employs words with a wide range of semantic connotations (Reed, 2018, p. 46). When she talks about a doll that mimics your speech, for example, she names the doll by using terms like “Elizabeth” and “Emily.” Her comprehension of these names points to a sophisticated semantic network. The 4 year old girl with “Childhood Apraxia of Speech” shows some difficulties with her semantic development (UrbanKowboy, 2010). Although she makes an effort to converse, her semantic linkages may be more restricted and less evident. For instance, she gives succinct answers when questioned about her toys and school but omits to elaborate on her experiences. It is consistent with the difficulties often seen in children with language impairments that her semantic connections seem to be more concentrated on immediate and tangible ideas.
Syntax and Morphology
There are variations in the syntactical complexity and morpheme use of the two 4-year-old children from the above videos when their syntax and morphology are examined. Her statement, “Just some casual dinner conversation with a 4-year old,” exhibits sophisticated syntax in an age-appropriate manner (Palonen, 2016). She employs a variety of sentence forms, such as adjectival phrases and main clauses (Reed, 2018, p. 100). When talking about the doll, for instance, she would make up phrases like “What if you say banana?”. “What if you say banana?” is the primary clause in this sentence, and it is followed by an adjectival phrase. She uses syntax and morphology in her speech in a developmentally appropriate manner. In “Childhood Apraxia of Speech: 4 Year Old Girl,” syntactical complexity is a barrier (UrbanKowboy, 2010). Sentences in her speech are often shorter and simpler. Her response is usually one or two words, such “Miss Vicky” or “yellow.” This restricted level of syntactical complexity is compatible with language problems that might affect a child’s capacity to construct sentences that follow sophisticated grammar rules.
Morphology
We can see variations in the way the two 4-year-old kids utilize morphemes to convey tense and other grammatical aspects when we examine their morphology from the films that are given. Age-appropriate morpheme use is seen in the sentence “Just some casual dinner conversation with a 4-year old” (Palonen, 2016). She represents grammatical and tense aspects of her speech through morphemes. She asks, “How much does this doll cost?” as an example. She appropriately employs the morphemes “does” to pose a question and “cost” to indicate the present tense of the verb in this phrase. Her usage of morphemes is consistent with a 4-year-old’s normal language development. This shows that she has a developmentally adequate grasp of morphology and can use grammatical morphemes to create coherent sentences (Reed, 2018, p. 48). In “Childhood Apraxia of Speech: 4 Year Old Girl,” morpheme use is inconsistent (UrbanKowboy, 2010). Her replies are often one word or short sentences, and her speech is marked by shorter syllables. She speaks very little in the video, so it’s difficult to evaluate her usage of morphemes in detail. Still, it is not uncommon for kids with language impairments such as apraxia to struggle with regularly using grammatical morphemes.
Pragmatics
Communication heavily relies on pragmatics, the study of language usage in social circumstances. Palonen (2016) asserts that the statement “Just some casual dinner conversation with a 4-year old” displays good pragmatic abilities. She converses with an adult, demonstrating that she understands the need of maintaining the subject and taking turns. She probes about a doll, for instance, asking about its qualities and price. She also answers the adult’s inquiries in a way that shows understanding and participation in the discussion. For a 4-year-old, her ability to modify her language and participate in the conversation implies that she has well-developed pragmatic abilities. The language disease “Childhood Apraxia of Speech 4 Year Old Girl” causes difficulties for her in the pragmatics domain (UrbanKowboy, 2010). She mostly answers the adult’s queries in brief, often using single words or short sentences. This low level of response suggests that the person finds it difficult to hold attention and participate in lengthy discussions. Due to their difficulty producing speech, children with language impairments such as apraxia may have pragmatic obstacles in their capacity to engage in complicated discussions and communicate coherently (Reed, 2018, p. 14). Furthermore, the child may have trouble pronouncing certain words correctly and may not always be understood by the adult, which might affect how well she communicates with others. Her pragmatic issues fit the profile of apraxia of speech, a condition that may make it difficult for kids to utilize language in social situations.
Comprehension
A crucial part of language development is comprehension, which entails processing spoken words. Strong understanding abilities are seen in “Just some casual dinner conversation with a 4-year old” (Palonen, 2016). Throughout the dialogue, she comprehends the adult’s inquiries and remarks and reacts accordingly. For instance, she correctly answers the question, “How much does this doll cost?” when asked how much the doll costs. Her replies imply that she understands the questions asked of her and gives thoughtful solutions. Furthermore, the adult can comprehend the child’s words, demonstrating effective communication and understanding between them. Due to her language impairment, “Childhood Apraxia of Speech 4 Year Old Girl” has some comprehension difficulties (UrbanKowboy, 2010). She typically answers the adult’s inquiries in a succinct and perhaps incomprehensible manner. Occasionally, the kid may ask the adult to repeat or explain her answers, indicating that she is having trouble comprehending what she is saying. This shows that the child can have trouble with both expressive and receptive language. Compared to younger children, there is a noticeable increase in the development of comprehension abilities, notably in the interpretation of morphologically complicated words (Reed, 2018, p. 63). Her restricted capacity for understanding spoken language and expressing her ideas clearly fits the profile of a child with childhood apraxia of speech.
Kinesics
Kinesics, the study of body language and nonverbal communication, is a crucial aspect of how people communicate and engage with one another. Age-appropriate kinesics in her speech are shown in “Just some casual dinner conversation with a 4-year-old” (Palonen, 2016). She is actively participating in the dialogue since she is keeping eye contact with the adult. She also makes motions to go along with her words, pointing to the doll and acting out its movements, for example. Her communication is improved and her thoughts and ideas are more successfully conveyed thanks to these gestures (Reed, 2018, p. 6). Because the kid uses non-verbal signals to supplement her speech, her use of kinesics is consistent with expected development for a 4-year-old. While her language impairment may have an impact, “Childhood Apraxia of Speech 4-Year-Old Girl” also uses kinesics in her communication (UrbanKowboy, 2010). Even while she tries to keep looking at the adult, there are times when she seems less interested or looks away. Her speech may be difficult to understand at times, but she communicates mostly via words and seldom uses gestures. Given the speech motor planning problems linked to Childhood Apraxia of Speech, it is possible that the child may struggle to use kinesics to assist her verbal utterances.
Conclusion
Our examination of the language and communication growth of the two kids reveals the striking contrasts between average and atypical verbal development in 4-year-olds. While one of them has language abilities that are age-appropriate, the other’s presentation of childhood apraxia of speech displays serious difficulties in a variety of linguistic areas. In light of the critical role language plays in cognitive and social development, this emphasizes the necessity of early intervention for kids with language difficulties.
References
Palonen, E. (2016). Just some casual dinner conversation with a 4-year old. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=mEOrun-YiDc
Reed, V. (2018). An introduction to children with language disorders. Pearson.
UrbanKowboy. (2010). Childhood Apraxia of Speech 4 Year Old Girl. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Lvl78dcXGp8
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