The Two Word Stage

Language

The Two Word Stage

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Summary

Theories

What we know

The Holophrastic Stage

Braine (1963)

Brown (1973)

Chomsky, Lenneberg, Berko-Gleason

Recap

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Prior knowledge

What we need to know

- Following the Holophrastic Stage, the child advances to the Two Word Stage. - The timing of this transition may differ across individuals, with some overlap in the stages. - At this stage, children begin to form simple expressions like "want teddy," combining two words to communicate.

1. Why is the Two Word Stage considered a crucial milestone? 2. What new abilities does this stage grant the child in terms of communication?

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Summary

Theories

what we know

The Holophrastic Stage

Braine (1963)

Brown (1973)

Chomsky, Lenneberg, Berko-Gleason

Theories

Braine

1963

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Braine

Pivot grammar/Schema

John Braine's research showed that when children start combining words (typically at 18-24 months), they follow basic semantic patterns rather than random combinations. Braine found that children use these two-word combinations to express relationships like possession ('mommy shoe'), action-object ('throw ball'), or location ('toy there'). Braine called this pattern 'pivot grammar/schema' because children often use one fixed word, called the pivot, with different words to create various meanings.

bRAINE

Research and findings

Two-Word Stage

Universal patterns Similar patterns appear across different languages and cultures

Pivot grammar Children use one fixed word with different words to create various meanings

Semantic patterns Possession: "mommy shoe" Action-object: "throw ball" Location: "toy there"

Connection to Chomsky Supports idea of innate language acquisition mechanisms

Comprehension vs. Production Children understand more complex grammar before they can produce it

summary

Theories

what we know

The Holophrastic Stage

Braine (1963)

Brown (1973)

Chomsky, Lenneberg, Berko-Gleason

theories

Brown

1973

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Brown

Findings

Brown (1973) observed that many two-word utterances followed common patterns. These patterns often included: • Agent + Action – where one word represents the doer and the other represents the action (e.g., "I walk," "Mummy eat"). • Action + Object – where an action is paired with the object being acted upon (e.g., "Drink juice," "Eat apple"). • Entity + Attribute – where an object is described by its qualities (e.g., "Drink allgone," "Daddy sad").

BROWN

His Study

In his longitudinal study, Brown identified the syntactic structures of two-word utterances, analysing how one-word functions in relation to another. Before examining the different word combinations that children use, it is important first to understand the parts of a clause and their different elements. Brown refers to the agent, which, in contemporary English grammar, is the noun phrase or pronoun that represents the person or thing initiating or performing an action in a sentence. Additionally, a demonstrative is a pronoun or determiner used to specify a particular entity, such as this or that.

Summary

Theories

what we know

The Holophrastic Stage

Braine (1963)

Brown (1973)

Chomsky, Lenneberg, Berko-Gleason

Theories

More theorists

Chomsky, Lenneberg, Berko-Gleason

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More theoriests

Chomsky, Lenneberg, and Berko Gleason

Chomsky’s theory of Universal Grammar suggests that during the two-word stage, children begin to intuitively apply basic syntactic rules, even without explicit instruction, as they are innately equipped with a universal language structure that guides their sentence formation.

Chomky's concept of poverty of the stimulus implies that even though children receive limited input, they can produce novel two-word combinations by applying internalised grammatical rules, reflecting their innate capacity for language acquisition.

Lenneberg’s Critical Period Hypothesis indicates that the two-word stage occurs during the biologically optimal period for language acquisition, supporting the idea that children are naturally predisposed to acquire language in early childhood when their brain is most receptive.

Berko Gleason's studies highlight that during the two-word stage, children show an emerging understanding of syntax, using basic sentence structures to convey relationships between objects and actions, which reflects their internalization of language rules.

Lenneberg's research suggests that the emergence of two-word combinations signals a developmental milestone where children begin to construct basic sentence structures, utilizing innate cognitive abilities linked to brain maturation.

Berko Gleason's research, particularly her Wug Test, supports the idea that children in the two-word stage are not simply mimicking adult speech but are actively applying learned grammatical rules, such as combining nouns and verbs, to generate novel combinations.

Summary

Development

what we know

The Holophrastic Stage

Braine (1963)

Brown (1973)

Chomsky, Lenneberg, Berko-Gleason

summary

It is time to review and check if you have solidified the knowledge

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Summary

Key ideas to remember

Eric Lenneberg – The emergence of two-word combinations aligns with the Critical Period Hypothesis, indicating that this stage reflects a biologically driven milestone where children’s brains are optimally primed for language acquisition.

Brown - identified five stages of language development based on sentence length, not age. Children learn grammar in a set order, starting with simple two-word phrases.

Noam Chomsky – The two-word stage demonstrates children’s innate ability to apply basic syntactic rules, as proposed in Universal Grammar, allowing them to form novel combinations despite limited input (poverty of the stimulus).

Jean Berko Gleason – Studies like the Wug Test show that children at the two-word stage actively apply learned grammatical rules rather than simply imitating adults, revealing an early understanding of syntax and sentence structure.

Brown - In the two-word stage, children combine words in predictable ways, like "Daddy go" (doer + action) or "Big dog" (object + description). These early sentences show meaning before full grammar develops.

John Braine – In the two-word stage, children follow structured semantic patterns rather than random combinations, using pivot grammar, where a fixed word (pivot) is paired with variable words to express relationships like possession, action-object, or location.

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REVIEW CARD 1

Did you know that during the two-word stage, children don’t just combine words randomly but follow a pattern called pivot grammar, where one fixed word is paired with different words to create meaning, “mummy shoe” (possession) or “throw ball” (action-object)?

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Closure/Summary

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REVIEW SHEET 1

Did you know that during the two-word stage, children don’t just combine words randomly but follow a pattern called pivot grammar, where one fixed word is paired with different words to create meaning, “mummy shoe” (possession) or “throw ball” (action-object)?it anywhere.

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Question 2/3

REVIEW CARD 2

What did Roger Brown discover about children's early language development?

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Summary

Question 2/3

REVIEW SHEET 2

Brown found that children develop language in stages, starting with two-word combinations that follow simple patterns, like "Mummy eat" (doer + action) or "Big ball" (object + description). He showed that children acquire grammar in a predictable order, focusing on meaning before full sentence structure develops.

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REVIEW CARD 3

How much information does our brain retain through visual stimuli such as images, interactivities,or animations?

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REVIEW SHEET 3

• Generate experiences withyour content.
• Measure results and experiment.
• It has a WOW effect. Very WOW.

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