Journal Entry Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Journal Entry - Article Example Our parents did not teach us to breathe or to swallow. We learned to walk on our own and we picked up speech without the aid of a teacher. There was some coaching involved along the way. We were encouraged to form certain words and rewarded for making the correct sounds. We were likewise penalized and punished for incorrect grammar and pronunciation. Perhaps there was an intuitive process that neither our parents nor we were consciously aware of. We imitated what we heard our parents say as best we could by parroting and repeating simple sounds and phrases. Some experts see the environment and the exposure to language as a critical element in learning a to speak. Other experts see language as a unique skill, its proficiency ruled by an inborn program that will rise out of us with no prodding by parents or the environment However, some exposure to language is necessary and learning a language depends on that exposure. The language a child acquires is that of his/her environment or surroundings. The fact that has already been tested and proven is that children who are deprived of language or a language environment simply do not begin to speak spontaneously. This was the instance in the well-known case of Genie. If we study the way a child interacts with their environment and the way adults provide feedback to a young child, we will see that there is a myriad of ways that they are provided to acquire language. The child will usually focus on the language of the mother due to the maternal bond. The parents provide a framework for learning many other routine tasks such as using eating utensils and bathing. It is the secure atmosphere of parental trust and interaction that language first begins to be uttered. The first sounds are usually the intuitive "ma" that is universal among children of all nationalities. As the sounds of the mother and father become more formalized, the emotion motivates the child to copy and to learn. Eventually, the child