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Child Development & Early Education vocabulary · Language and Communication

Language development

Meaning in child development & early education, with examples

nounCore term

In child development & early education, language development means: The process by which children learn to understand and use language, from crying and babbling to words, sentences and conversation.

In Turkish: dil gelişimi

How it is used

Used in reports, assessments and research. Practitioners often divide it into receptive language (understanding) and expressive language (talking). Speech means producing sounds, while language means words, grammar and meaning.

Example sentences

  1. The setting tracks each child's language development every term.

  2. Her language development is ahead of her age; she already tells long stories.

Common collocations

  • early language development
  • speech and language development
  • support language development
  • delayed language development
  • receptive languageA child's ability to understand language: following instructions, understanding words and questions, and making sense of what other people say.
  • expressive languageA child's ability to use language to communicate, through words, sentences, gestures or signs, in order to ask for things, share ideas and describe events.
  • babblingThe repeated speech-like sounds babies make before their first words, such as 'bababa' or 'dadada', usually starting in the second half of the first year.
  • speech and language therapistA health professional who assesses and supports people, including young children, who have difficulties with speech, language, communication or swallowing.
  • bilingualAble to use two languages, or growing up with two languages, for example one spoken at home and another at nursery.

More terms: Language and Communication

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