"First Language Acquisition" (G. Yule)

1. - Which are two important features of the caretaker speech?

The caretakers it’s a style adopted by someone who spends a lot of time interacting with a young child; the adult tries to simplify their speech style by using exaggerated intonation, simplified words and simple sounds. However the two important features of the caretaker speech are to use simple sentences structures and a lot of repetition.

2. - What is the term used to describe the process where a child uses one word like “Ball” to refer to an apple, an egg and a ball?

That process is called holophrastic stage, This period is also called “one-word stage”, occurs between twelve and eighteen months and it is characterized by speech in which single terms are uttered for everyday objects; In this speech terms are view such as “Single unit” or “Single form” For example: The baby will call ball to everything what looks like a ball, or he will use a word to call things which are related.

3. - Why saying that children learn because they imitate is controversial?

Language is a skilled activity. In the development and acquisition of the skill, imitation may play different roles. Children make errors like saying "goed" instead of "went" or "drawed" instead of "drew". These errors are important. Because they indicate that the child cannot simply be memorizing all of the words in her or his language. Adults don't make these kinds of errors, if children are merely imitating. One explanation is that kids are building a grammar, not simply memorizing, and that such errors are indications that the children are applying a past tense "rule" to irregular verbs that they have not yet committed to memory as exceptions to the normal pattern. This is a good approach, but it doesn't square with imitation theory.

4. - Do children change behavior when they are corrected?

No. when children acquire the ability to communicate they also acquires the ability to create new words. The correction is attempted in a more subtle manner; the child will continue to use a personally constructed form. 

Example: (Fragment taken from “The study of Language” by George Yule)

Child: My teacher holded the baby rabbits.

Mother: Did you say your teacher held the baby rabbits?

Child: Yes.

Mother: What did you say she did?

Child: She holded the baby rabbits and we patted them.

5. - What is the role of feedback in children learning?

Feedback is related to the relationship between an adult and a child, when we want to acquire a language, it is important this kind of relation, because when the child want to express an idea by using just one or two words and the caretaker understand it and do not correct them, he will think the sentence will be good and he will learn it as good. So, it is important to let the children know when they are making mistakes and teach them the correct form and structure of the sentence.