Developmental Linguistics

Developmental linguistics is the area of linguistics that specializes in the process of speech development. The most common area of study revolves around the development of speech in children. Developmental linguistics is concerned with the study of normal as well as deviant speech development. Linguists study the stages of the development … Keep Reading → process and formulate data to mark the expected milestones that indicate normal development. This includes aspects of brain development as well as the mechanical processes necessary for speech such as the tongue and mouth. One theory of language development is the innateness hypothesis put forth by Noam Chomsky. Chomsky says that humans are wired with an innate ability to acquire language which is the basis of the development process. This ability is likened to computer software in the brain that provides instructions on how and when the processes of development should occur. While there are variations within the expected development, anything outside the normal range is considered a form of deviant development.