1 language learning in early childhood preview

Language disorders and delays
Although most children progress through the stages of language development
without significant difficulty or delay, there are some children for whom this
is not the case. The majority of children produce recognizable first words by
12 months; however, a small number may not speak before the age of three
years. In very young children, one way to determine whether delayed
language reflects a problem or simply an individual difference within the
normal range is to determine whether the child responds to language and
appears to understand even if they are not speaking.
For older children, delays in learning to read that seem out of keeping with a
child’s overall cognitive functioning may suggest that there is a specific
problem in that domain. Some children seem to begin reading almost by
magic, discovering the mysteries of print with little direct instruction. For
most children, instruction that includes some systematic attention to sound–
letter correspondences allows them to unlock the treasure chest of reading.
Both groups fall within a ‘normal’ range. For some children, however,
reading presents such great challenges that they need expert help beyond
what is available in a typical classroom. Parents and teachers need to bring in
specialists who can help to assess the child’s needs and work out a
programme of support.
However, when children receive their early schooling in a language that they
do not speak at home, there may be delays in learning to read. These delays
have sometimes been misinterpreted as reflecting an underlying reading
disability. It is important to understand that learning to read depends very
much on the development of good oral vocabulary and that children who are
still developing L2 may simply need more time to acquire the background
knowledge and vocabulary they need in order to understand what they are

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reading. Esther Geva and Gloria Ramirez (2015) describe the ‘multifaceted
nature of English L2 reading comprehension’ and review research that has
helped teachers develop approaches to help both L1 and L2 speakers acquire
this most fundamental tool for education.
An in-depth discussion of the various types of disability (including deafness,
articulatory problems, autism, dyslexia, and so on) that sometimes affect
language development is outside the scope of this book. It is essential that
parents and teachers be encouraged to seek professional advice if they feel
that a child is not developing language as expected, keeping in mind that the
range for ‘normal’ is wide indeed.