Unit 6. Speech development in children
I.1. The text you are going to read is about the speech development in children. What do you already know about it?
2. Pay attention to the following terms used in the text: to mature – созревать, развиваться; sights – образы; exposure – контакт, непосредственное общение, воздействие; to absorb – постигать, понимать, впитывать; newborn – новорожденный, только что родившийся; cooing – гуление; babble – лепет; cadence – ритм, темп; rapidly- быстро; representational or pretend play – символическая игра; toddler-малыш, ребенок, начинающий ходить; comprehension – понимание, осмысление, способность понять; descriptive concepts – семантические понятия; random – случайный, выбранный наугад; nursery rhyme – детский стишок или песенка; spatial relations – пространственные отношения; intelligible – понятный, ясный, четкий; handle opposite analogies – прослеживать аналогии; complex and compound sentences – сложноподчиненные и сложносочиненные предложения lapse- ошибка; consonant blends – сочетания согласных звуков; composition – сочинение.
I. 1. Find the following English equivalents in the text: - интенсивный период развития; - дружеское общение; - различать звуки речи; - составлять слова; - родной язык; - повторяющиеся звуки; - складывать звуки; - внимательно смотреть; - потеря слуха; - не знать значения слов; - простые предложения; - резкий скачок в развитии; - словарный запас; - определенные навыки; - имитирует знакомые звуки; - длина предложения; - знает свою фамилию; - связный, логически выстроенный рассказ; - четверть часа; - времена глагола, местоимения, формы множественного числа; - темп, высота, громкость; - временные и числовые отношения. 2. Read the text. Use dictionary if necessary: The most intensive period of speech and language development for humans is during the first three years of life, a period when the brain is developing and maturing. These skills appear to develop best in a world that is rich with sounds, sights, and consistent exposure to the speech and language of others. There is increasing evidence suggesting that there are " critical periods" for speech and language development in infants and young children. This means that the developing brain is best able to absorb a language, any language, during this period. The ability to learn a language will be more difficult, and perhaps less efficient or effective, if these critical periods are allowed to pass without early exposure to a language. The beginning signs of communication occur during the first few days of life when an infant learns that a cry will bring food, comfort, and companionship. The newborn also begins to recognize important sounds in his or her environment. The sound of a parent or voice can be one important sound. As they grow, infants begin to sort out the speech sounds (phonemes) or building blocks that compose the words of their language. Research has shown that by six months of age, most children recognize the basic sounds of their native language. As the speech mechanism (jaw, lips, and tongue) and voice mature, an infant is able to make controlled sound. This begins in the first few months of life with " cooing, " a quiet, pleasant, repetitive vocalization. By six months of age, an infant usually babbles or produces repetitive syllables such as " ba, ba, ba" or " da, da, da." Babbling soon turns into a type of nonsense speech that often has the tone and cadence of human speech but does not contain real words. Cooing and babbling are early stages of speech development. As babies get older (often around 9 months), they begin to string sounds together, incorporate the different tones of speech, and say words like " mama" and " dada" (without really understanding what those words mean). Before 12 months, children should also be attentive to sound and begin to recognize names of common objects (for example bottle, binky, etc.). Babies who watch intently but don't react to sound may be showing signs of hearing loss. By the end of their first year, most children have mastered the ability to say a few simple words. Children are most likely unaware of the meaning of their first words, but soon learn the power of those words as others respond to them. By eighteen months of age, most children can say eight to ten words. By age two, most are putting words together in crude sentences such as " more milk." During this period, children rapidly learn that words symbolize or represent objects, actions, and thoughts. At this age they also engage in representational or pretend play. Parents often witness an " explosion" in their child's speech by the age of 2-3 years. Toddler's vocabulary should increase (to too many words to count) and he or she should combine three or more words into sentences. Comprehension also should increase — by 3 years of age, a child should begin to understand what it means to " put it on the table" or " put it under the bed." A child also should begin to identify colors and comprehend descriptive concepts (big versus little, for example). At ages three, four, and five, a child's vocabulary rapidly increases, and he or she begins to master the rules of language. Children vary in their development of speech and language. There is, however, a natural progression or " timetable" for mastery of these skills for each language. The milestones are identifiable skills that can serve as a guide to normal development. Typically, simple skills need to be reached before the more complex skills can be learned. There is a general age and time when most children pass through these periods. These milestones help doctors and other health professionals determine when a child may need extra help to learn to speak or to use language. For more details on this topic see the table below.
Ш. 1. Answer the questions: 1) How do speech and language normally develop? 2) How is the development of speech connected with the development of the brain? 3) What are the main achievements of each month? 4) What are the first sounds of a child? What causes them? 5) When does the dialogue appear? 6) What may cause delay in speech development? 7) What is the main type of the game activity for the child since the age of six months? 8) When does the child start to understand speech for the first time? 9) What can the child do at the age of eight months? 10) What are the main factors for the development of correct speech since the age of six months? 11) When does the child start to imitate sounds? 12) What does babble mean for the further development of speech? 13) How does motor development influence the development of speech? 14) What is the role of parents in the process of their child`s speech formation?
2. Say whether the following statements are true or false: 1) The development of speech of the child is connected with organic development of its brain, but nevertheless basically is defined by education of the child by adults. 2) Brain organic development is insufficient for mental development of the child, for the development of its speech in particular. 3) In the first half of the year a very important ability of the child is formed – the ability to imitate the words said by the adult. 4) Speech of the child should be brought up, it is necessary to learn to understand speech of associates and to speak independently. 5) The period of lulling comes to the end with that the child on the verge of the first half of the year. 6) Child can learn to speak only on the basis of speaking activity. 7) The child says sounds and makes movements to " express" the desires since birth. 8) The understanding of speech is one of the major stages the period of maturing of children's speech. 9) At the age of 8-9 months the kid starts to imitate familiar sounds. 10) By 9 months the small child understands the names of several objects, finds them in any place, knows the name, gives a toy which is in his hands, understands the words connected with regime processes, carries out necessary movements and actions 11) Without the ability to babble the further development of the kid, his training and education is impossible. 12) At the age of 8 months the child can repeat after the adult, say new syllables already, new combinations of palatal or lip consonants which he did not say before.
3. Continue the sentences: 1) The development of speech of the child is connected with… 2) Education should begin… 3) Speech of the child should be… 4) The period of lulling … 5) child can learn to speak … 6) The child says sounds and … 7) By the age of six months … 8) In the second half of the year of life… 9) The understanding of speech is… 10) The dialogue… 11) The more adults speak to the child… 12) At the age of 8-9 months the kid starts… 13) By 9 months the small child… 14) In the course of motor development… 15) Approximately by the end of the first year of life… 16) The speech of the child at the age of 11-12 months is… 4. Fill in the blanks with the words from the text: As the speech mechanism (…, lips, and …) and voice mature, an infant is able to make … …. This begins in the first few months of life with …, a quiet, pleasant, repetitive vocalization. By six months of age, an infant usually… or produces repetitive syllables such as " ba, ba, ba" or " da, da, da." … soon turns into a type of … speech that often has the tone and cadence of human speech but does not contain real words. … and … are early stages of speech development. As babies get older (often around 9 months), they begin to … sounds …, … the different tones of speech, and say words like " mama" and " dada" (without really understanding what those words mean). Before 12 months, children should also be … to sound and begin to recognize names of … … (for example bottle, binky, etc.). Babies who watch intently but don't react to sound may be showing signs of … …. By the end of their first year, most children have mastered the … to say a few simple words. Children are most likely… of the meaning of their first words, but soon learn the power of those words as others … to them. 5. Give synonyms from the text: - to develop; - fellowship; - understanding; - casual, incidental; - mistake; - creation, compilation.
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