1. Language Development and Storytelling: Nurturing Tom's Gift for Words 2. Enhancing Tom's Language Skills: Strategies for Granny and the Teacher 3. Exploring Language Teaching Theories and Vygotsk

Sure, let's break down each question one by one: ### 1.1 Describe the language stage that Tom displays. Give concrete examples to support your answer. (15) Tom is demonstrating what is commonly referred to in language development as the "Early Childhood" or "Preschool" language stage, which typically spans from ages 3 to 5 years old. This stage is characterized by significant advances in sentence structure, vocabulary, and narrative skills. **Examples:** - **Complex Sentences:** Tom's ability to use more complex sentences resembling that of older children indicates he's moving beyond simple sentences. For example, instead of saying "The cat is sleeping," he might say, "The cat is sleeping on the chair because it's tired." - **Story Retelling:** Tom is able to retell bedtime stories with accuracy, which suggests he understands the sequence of events and can convey that to others. This involves understanding plot, characters, and the ability to communicate those elements effectively. - **Vocabulary Expansion:** His use of a broader range of vocabulary words that are appropriate for his stories and his ability to grasp the meanings and use them correctly demonstrates advanced language development for his age. ### 1.2 How can Tom’s grandmother employ advanced strategies and techniques to strengthen and promote his language skills through supplementary activities? (5) Tom's grandmother can use a variety of strategies to further promote his language development: 1. **Interactive Storytelling:** Asking him questions about the story and encouraging him to predict what will happen next can stimulate critical thinking and understanding of narrative structure. 2. **Role-Playing:** Engaging in pretend play based on the stories they read allows Tom to use language in imaginative ways. 3. **Introducing New Vocabulary:** Gradually including new and more complex vocabulary words in the stories and explaining their meanings can expand his lexicon. 4. **Encouraging Own Story Creation:** Prompting Tom to create his own stories can enhance his creative use of language. 5. **Reading Aloud:** Regularly reading a variety of books aloud, and discussing the content can help build his comprehension and expressive language skills. ### 1.3 Recommend ways that you as a teacher can explore to advance the literacy development of children like Tom. (10) As a teacher, there are several ways to advance literacy development in children: - **Shared Reading:** Engage the whole class in reading books together and discuss them. This incorporates listening, speaking, and comprehension skills. - **Literacy-Rich Environment:** Create an environment filled with books, labels, posters, and other print materials that encourage reading and writing. - **Phonemic Awareness Activities:** Incorporate games and activities that focus on the sounds of language, which is foundational to reading. - **Writing Exercises:** Provide opportunities for children to engage in free writing, drawing, and labeling activities, helping them make connections between spoken and written language. - **Parental Involvement:** Encourage parents to read with their children at home and share their storytelling skills to reinforce the practice outside the classroom. - **Story Dramatization:** Use drama and role-play based on stories to enhance understanding and expressive language skills. ### QUESTION 3 [30] ### 3.1 Compare and contrast the perspectives of language teaching proposed by the behaviourist and the nativist theorists. Illustrate their arguments with practical examples. (20) **Behaviourist Perspective:** The behaviourist theory, championed by B.F. Skinner, asserts that language learning is a result of environmental interaction and repetition. Language is learned through imitation, reinforcement, and shaping. - **Imitation:** Children imitate the sounds and words they hear from adults. - **Reinforcement:** Positive reinforcement, such as praise or rewards, encourages children to continue using correct language. - **Practical Example:** A child learns to say "please" and "thank you" because their parents consistently use these manners and praise the child when they do the same. **Nativist Perspective:** The nativist theory, proposed by Noam Chomsky, argues that humans are born with an innate ability to acquire language, suggesting the existence of a "Language Acquisition Device" (LAD) in the brain. - **Universal Grammar:** Chomsky posits that all human languages share a common underlying structure, which children naturally grasp. - **Inborn Ability:** Children can generate language and create sentences they have never heard before, showing evidence of an innate grammatical understanding. - **Practical Example:** A child can say, “I goed to the store” showing an understanding of past tense formations even though "goed" is incorrect, indicating the application of grammatical rules without explicit teaching. **Comparison and Contrast:** - **Environmental Influence:** Behaviourist theory puts a strong emphasis on the role of the environment in language learning, while the nativist theory emphasizes biological predisposition. - **Learning Process:** Behaviourists focus on repetition and reinforcement, whereas nativists believe children naturally decipher language rules. - **Practicality:** In the classroom, a behaviourist approach might involve lots of drills and repetition, while a nativist approach might focus on providing rich linguistic input for children to process naturally. ### 3.2 Drawing upon Vygotsky’s social theory as a framework, argue the significance of play in fostering language development in Foundation Phase learners. (10) Vygotsky’s social theory posits that social interaction is fundamental to cognitive development. Play, particularly symbolic and imaginative play, serves as a critical context for language development in young children. **Significance:** - **Social Interaction:** Play often involves communication with peers and adults, which enhances conversational skills and vocabulary. - **ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development):** Through play, children can perform at higher levels than they would independently. For example, collaborative play with a more knowledgeable peer can scaffold a child’s language development. - **Imaginative Play:** Role-playing and pretend play encourage children to use language in creative and abstract ways, promoting narrative skills and complex sentence structures. - **Cognitive Development:** Play supports cognitive processes that underlie language learning, such as memory, attention, and understanding of symbolic representation. **Practical Example:** - Setting up a "grocery store" in the classroom where children take turns being the cashier and customers encourages the use of specific vocabulary and dialogues, enhancing both language and social skills. In summary, play is not just a leisure activity; it's a powerful vehicle for linguistic and cognitive development in young learners, aligning with Vygotsky’s emphasis on the importance of social interactions in learning.

1.1 Tom appears to be in the "preschool stage" or "early childhood" of language acquisition according to Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development. This stage is characterized by an ability to use complex sentences, understand grammar, and tell stories. His storytelling ability indicates his capacity to arrange events sequentially which is a part of narrative skills. Additionally, Tom's language demonstrates a clear understanding of syntax, morphemes, and semantics which are characteristic of this stage. For example, his ability to use complex sentences resembling those of older children indicates his strong understanding of clauses, conjunctions, and predicates- all structural elements of sentence formation. 1.2 Tom's grandmother can employ various activities to strengthen and promote his language skills. She can introduce books that are just beyond his reading level and read aloud to him, exposing him to new vocabulary and complex sentences. She could also engage him in interactive storytelling, where he becomes an active participant steering the direction of the story. This would encourage his problem-solving ability along with creative and lateral thinking. It's also beneficial to ask Tom open-ended questions which may help him to think more deeply about the story and express his thoughts in complete sentences. 1.3 As a teacher, you can help children like Tom by providing them with plenty of opportunities to express their thoughts and feelings. Encourage storytelling sessions and provide a variety of books for them to read. Incorporating role-plays, dramatic plays, or puppet-shows can also contribute to their literacy development. Additionally, providing an enriching literacy environment with different multimedia aids like visual charts, digital media stories, or audio storybooks can stimulate their interest and learning. Question 3 [30] 3.1 The behaviourist theory of language learning, proposed by B.F. Skinner, suggests that language is a behavior learned through conditioning; specifically, through a system of rewards and corrections. For example, when a child says a word correctly, they are praised and encouraged. This reinforcement motivates them to repeat the word. On the other hand, the nativist theory, associated with Noam Chomsky, argues that language acquisition is an innate capacity, wired into the brain. Chomsky's idea of a 'language acquisition device' (LAD) refers to the human capacity to learn languages naturally. For instance, a child speaking grammatically correct sentences without direct instruction suggests an innate understanding of grammatical rules. 3.2 Vygotsky's social theory emphasizes the role of social interaction in learning. In this context, play becomes a crucial part of language development. Through play, children communicate, negotiate roles, establish rules, and share narratives, which in turn fosters their language skills. During pretend play, for instance, a child may emulate a teacher and direct a 'class' of stuffed animals, practicing both leadership and communication skills. This aligns with Vygotsky's belief that learning takes place in the 'Zone of Proximal Development'; in the interplay between peer interaction, guidance from an adult, and individual capability. Therefore, it can be argued that play serves as a pivotal platform for language acquisition and cognitive development.