A Critique of a Journal Article on Oral Language Development Processes

This report presents a critique of a journal article that explores the stages and components of oral language development in children. The critique summarizes the article's key points, including the importance of phonological, semantic, syntactic, and pragmatic components. It emphasizes the role of practice, peer interaction, and caregiver involvement in a child's language acquisition journey. The critique also includes a personal reaction to the article, expressing agreement with the presented information and highlighting the significance of educators understanding individual differences in language development. Furthermore, the report discusses the implications of oral language development for reading and writing skills, emphasizing its role in children's overall development and social interactions. The report concludes by referencing the sources used and reiterating the importance of activities that promote conversations among children.

Journal Article Critique

Contents
Summary....................................................................................................................................................3
Reaction......................................................................................................................................................3
Relevance/Implications.............................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................................5

Summary
Children are taught the rules of their language at a very early age with the help of
instructions and use of the same. They learn a variety of dialects that people around them usually
speak. Children learn the conventional forms of language gradually over the years as they
understand the rules of the language (Amorsen and Miller, 2017). Unlike learning to walk,
learning how to talk requires time as well as practice in day to day situations.
The three components of oral language are phonological, semantic and syntactic
component. The phonological component involves rules that are related to combining sounds,
whereas the semantic component involves morphemes, that can be combined with each other in
order to make words. Lastly, the syntactic component consists of the rules that allow combining
morphemes into meaningful sentences.
“Human beings are born to speak and they have a gift for figuring out the different rules
of the languages that are spoken around them (Halliday, Tuomainen and Rosen, 2017).”
Pragmatics is considered to be the fourth component of language that primarily deals
with the rules of using language. Pragmatics rules are referred to as the ability of individuals to
speak properly in different situations. It is as important to learn pragmatic rules, as it is to learn
other components of language (Young Children’s Oral Language Development, 2020). This is
because people are judged on the basis of both and thus, teachers should help children in the
same. Therefore, young children need to learn the different ways of speaking.
Reaction
The information given in the article is relevant and articulated in a clear manner. All of
the information is supported with the help of examples in order to facilitate a better
understanding to the readers. I agree to the information that has been provided in the article, as it
takes time for the children to learn various rules of language and speak their first sentences. It is
important for the teachers to understand that every child’s language is different as it reflects their
identities, values as well as community. I agree to the fact that the parents or caregivers of a child
play an important role in a child’s language development. Interaction among children should be
encouraged even when they come to understand written language (Lervåg, Hulme and Melby‐

Lervåg, 2018). In language development, peer learning plays a vital role and this is mostly
relevant to mixed-age groups.
Relevance/Implications
Oral language development is what lays the foundation for the reading as well as writing
skills in children. Oral language is used in all aspects of education for children as it helps them in
connecting with their peers as well as teacher. It can be said that oral development is important
for the overall language development of the children as it contributes to their overall
development as they grow into adults (Mouzaki and et. al., 2020). Also, children learn how
conversations work at a very early age and therefore, they should be treated as conversationalists.
All of the information that is provided in the article and is reviewed, is mostly relevant and very
informative. Lastly, it can be said that activities that involve different materials promote
conversations among children.

REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Amorsen, A., & Miller, M. G. (2017). Children's oral language development and early literacy
practices. Educating Young Children: Learning and Teaching in the Early Childhood
Years. 23(1). 24-27.
Halliday, L. F., Tuomainen, O., & Rosen, S. (2017). Language development and impairment in
children with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss. Journal of Speech, Language,
and Hearing Research. 60(6). 1551-1567.
Lervåg, A., Hulme, C., & Melby‐Lervåg, M. (2018). Unpicking the developmental relationship
between oral language skills and reading comprehension: It's simple, but complex. Child
Development. 89(5). 1821-1838.
Mouzaki, A. and et. al., (2020). The Dimensionality of Oral Language Ability: Evidence From
Young Greek Children. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 63(8).
2732-2751.
Online
Young Children’s Oral Language Development. 2020. [Online]. Available through:<
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/young-childrens-oral-language-development>.