Language: Child Language Development - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

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A-Level · English Language

AE.L2 Language: Child Language Development

AQA 7702 (A-Level English Language); style-compatible with 7712/7701 AS conventions · Calculators not allowed · about 150 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.

Playing on the Farm: An Original Child Language Transcript

Source written for Revision Library (original, copyright-free). This is an invented transcript composed specifically for A-level English Language study; it does not represent a real child, family or recording, and no identifying details are genuine. Lines are numbered for ease of reference in the questions that follow.

Context: Freya (aged 2 years 7 months, written 2;7) is playing with a wooden farm set with her mother at home. The interaction was recorded and transcribed for teaching purposes.

Transcription key: (.) = a micro-pause of under one second; (2.0) = a timed pause, in seconds; ((text)) = non-verbal behaviour; [text] = a paralinguistic feature.

1. Mother: what's this one then (.) can you see the (.) cow

2. Freya: (2.0) ((points to toy)) cow (.) moo

3. Mother: that's right clever girl it's a cow and cows say moo don't they

4. Freya: moo moo (.) more cow

5. Mother: is there another cow (.) let's have a look

6. Freya: dat one (.) big cow

7. Mother: yes that one is a big cow well done

8. Freya: cow eated grass

9. Mother: mmm the cow ate the grass that's it the cow's eating the grass

10. Freya: sheep eated grass too

11. Mother: did the sheep eat the grass as well

12. Freya: (.) yeah (.) sheeps eated it all up

13. Mother: gosh they must be hungry

14. Freya: I hungry (.) want dinner

15. Mother: we'll have dinner soon (.) shall we feed the animals first

16. Freya: dis one (.) what dat

17. Mother: that's a tractor (.) can you say tractor

18. Freya: twactor (.) twactor go brrm

19. Mother: [laughs] yes the tractor goes brrm brrm doesn't it

20. Freya: wabbit (.) where wabbit gone

21. Mother: where's the rabbit gone (.) is he hiding

22. Freya: (3.0) ((searches under farm set)) dere he is

23. Mother: you found him (.) well done

24. Freya: I founded him

25. Mother: you did (.) you found him all by yourself

26. Freya: aminal (.) dat aminal too

27. Mother: yes the rabbit's an animal too (.) what other animals live on the farm

28. Freya: horse (.) and duck (.) and (.) dat one

29. Mother: that one's a goose

30. Freya: doose (.) doose say hiss

Answer all parts of this question. You do not need to refer to the transcript for this question.

(a)State what is meant by the term 'holophrastic stage'.(1)

(b)State what is meant by the term 'telegraphic speech'.(1)

(c)State what is meant by the term 'overextension'.(1)

(d)State what is meant by the term 'child-directed speech (CDS)'.(1)

(Total for Question 1 is 4 marks)

Answer all parts of this question. You do not need to refer to the transcript for this question.

(a)Name the theorist most associated with the idea that children's language is shaped by reinforcement and imitation.(1)

(b)Name the theorist most associated with the idea that children possess an innate Language Acquisition Device (LAD) enabling them to acquire grammar.(1)

(c)Name the theorist most associated with the idea that language develops through supported interaction with a More Knowledgeable Other within a Language Acquisition Support System (LASS).(1)

(d)Name the theorist most associated with the idea that certain cognitive developments must occur before associated language structures can be used.(1)

(Total for Question 2 is 4 marks)

Answer all parts of this question. You do not need to refer to the transcript for this question.

(a)Define the term 'overextension' in relation to a child's early word meanings.(2)

(b)Give one original example of overextension.(1)

(c)Define the term 'underextension' in relation to a child's early word meanings.(2)

(d)Give one original example of underextension.(1)

(Total for Question 3 is 6 marks)

Refer to the transcript in the source material. Freya's utterances at lines 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 are reproduced below for this question.
Line 2: 'cow moo'
Line 4: 'moo moo more cow'
Line 6: 'dat one big cow'
Line 8: 'cow eated grass'
Line 10: 'sheep eated grass too'

(a)Using Brown's method for calculating Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) in morphemes, calculate Freya's MLU across these five utterances. Show your working, including the total number of morphemes and the number of utterances used.(3)

(b)Using Brown's stages of language development, identify which stage this MLU value places Freya in.(1)

(c)This MLU is higher than might typically be expected for a child of 2;7. Suggest two possible contextual reasons for this, other than measurement error.(2)

(Total for Question 4 is 6 marks)

Refer to the transcript in the source material. Freya produces the non-standard forms 'twactor' (line 18), 'aminal' (line 26) and 'doose' (line 30) for the target words 'tractor', 'animal' and 'goose'.

(a)Identify the phonological process shown in 'twactor' for 'tractor' and explain the change that has occurred.(2)

(b)Identify the phonological process shown in 'aminal' for 'animal' and explain the change that has occurred.(2)

(c)Identify the phonological process shown in 'doose' for 'goose' and explain the change that has occurred.(2)

(Total for Question 5 is 6 marks)

Refer to the transcript in the source material. Freya produces the forms 'eated' (lines 8, 10 and 12), 'sheeps' (line 12) and 'founded' (line 24).

(a)Identify the grammatical rule that has been overgeneralised in 'eated' and explain why this counts as a 'virtuous error'.(2)

(b)Identify the grammatical rule that has been overgeneralised in 'sheeps' and explain why this counts as a 'virtuous error'.(2)

(c)Identify the grammatical rule that has been overgeneralised in 'founded' and explain why this counts as a 'virtuous error'.(2)

(Total for Question 6 is 6 marks)

Refer to the transcript in the source material. Analyse how turn-taking and pragmatic development are demonstrated in Freya's interaction with her mother. In your answer, you should consider adjacency pairs, repair, and the balance of conversational control between speaker and child.

(Total for Question 7 is 8 marks)

Refer to the transcript in the source material. Analyse the features of child-directed speech used by the mother, and evaluate the functions these features perform in supporting Freya's language development.

(Total for Question 8 is 8 marks)

Refer to the transcript in the source material. Four of Freya's utterances are given below. Using Halliday's model of the functions of child language, identify the function each utterance is most likely performing and justify your answer with reference to the context.
(a) Line 4: 'moo moo (.) more cow'
(b) Line 14: 'I hungry (.) want dinner'
(c) Line 16: 'dis one (.) what dat'
(d) Line 30: 'doose (.) doose say hiss'

(a)Identify the function of the utterance in line 4 and justify your answer.(2)

(b)Identify the function of the utterance in line 14 and justify your answer.(2)

(c)Identify the function of the utterance in line 16 and justify your answer.(2)

(d)Identify the function of the utterance in line 30 and justify your answer.(2)

(Total for Question 9 is 8 marks)

Refer to the transcript in the source material. Two extracts from the mother's speech are given below.
Extract 1, line 9: 'mmm the cow ate the grass that's it the cow's eating the grass'
Extract 2, line 21: 'where's the rabbit gone (.) is he hiding'

(a)Identify the scaffolding technique used in Extract 1 and explain how it supports Freya's language development, referring to Bruner's concept of the Language Acquisition Support System (LASS).(4)

(b)Identify the scaffolding technique used in Extract 2 and explain how it supports Freya's language development, referring to Bruner's concept of LASS.(4)

(Total for Question 10 is 8 marks)

Refer to the transcript in the source material and to your wider knowledge of theories of child language acquisition.
Compare what the transcript evidence suggests about Skinner's behaviourist theory and Chomsky's nativist theory as explanations of Freya's language development.

(Total for Question 11 is 10 marks)

Refer to the transcript in the source material and to your wider knowledge of theories of child language acquisition.
'The transcript shows that Freya's language development is best explained by an interactionist, rather than a purely nativist or purely behaviourist, account.'
Using the transcript and your wider knowledge, evaluate this view.

(Total for Question 12 is 25 marks)

The transcript in the source material was collected as a single naturalistic recording of one child playing with her mother.
Evaluate the strengths and limitations of using naturalistic data of this kind to draw conclusions about child language acquisition more generally.

(Total for Question 13 is 10 marks)

Mark scheme · AE.L2 Language: Child Language Development

Question 1

(a) B1 The stage at which a child uses a single word to express a whole idea or proposition (oe)
(a) Answer: A single word used by a child to convey a complete meaning or idea, typical of children aged around 12-18 months.
(b) B1 Speech that omits grammatical function words (e.g. determiners, auxiliaries, prepositions) while retaining content words, resembling a telegram (oe)
(b) Answer: Speech in which grammatical function words such as articles and auxiliary verbs are omitted, leaving mainly content words, e.g. 'want dinner'.
(c) B1 Applying a word to a wider range of referents than its adult meaning allows (oe)
(c) Answer: Using a word too broadly, applying it to a wider range of objects or concepts than an adult would, for example calling all four-legged animals 'dog'.
(d) B1 The distinctive, simplified register adults use when speaking to young children (oe)
(d) Answer: The distinctive register adults use with young children, typically simplified in vocabulary and grammar, higher in pitch, with exaggerated intonation, repetition and shorter utterances than adult-to-adult speech.

Question 2

(a) B1 Skinner (behaviourist theory) (oe)
(a) Answer: B. F. Skinner.
(b) B1 Chomsky (nativist theory) (oe)
(b) Answer: Noam Chomsky.
(c) B1 Bruner (social interactionist theory) (oe)
(c) Answer: Jerome Bruner.
(d) B1 Piaget (cognitive theory) (oe)
(d) Answer: Jean Piaget.

Question 3

(a) B1 Identifies that the child's use of a word is wider than the adult meaning (oe)
(a) B1 Development/precision: refers to extending a word to other items that share a perceived feature, e.g. shape, sound or function (oe)
(a) Answer: Overextension occurs when a child applies a word too broadly, using it to refer to a wider range of items than an adult would, often because those items share a perceptual or functional feature with the original referent.
(b) B1 Any plausible original example showing a word applied beyond its adult meaning, e.g. a child calling all round objects 'ball' (oe, must not reproduce a textbook example verbatim)
(b) Answer: For example, a child who has learned the word 'ball' might also use it to refer to an orange, a balloon or the moon, because all are round.
(c) B1 Identifies that the child's use of a word is narrower than the adult meaning (oe)
(c) B1 Development/precision: refers to restricting a word to a single specific referent rather than the whole category it names (oe)
(c) Answer: Underextension occurs when a child applies a word too narrowly, restricting it to one specific example rather than the whole category of things it could refer to.
(d) B1 Any plausible original example showing a word restricted to one specific referent rather than the wider category, e.g. a child using 'dog' only for the family pet and not for other dogs (oe)
(d) Answer: For example, a child might use the word 'dog' only to refer to the family's own pet, and not recognise other dogs seen in the park as belonging to the same category.

Question 4

(a) M1 Correctly counts the total number of morphemes across the five utterances as 19, treating each regular past-tense -ed as a separate bound morpheme (2 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 5 = 19) (oe, ft from a differently but consistently justified morpheme count)
(a) dM1 Divides the total morpheme count by the number of utterances (5), dependent on M1 (ft)
(a) A1 cao MLU = 3.8 morphemes per utterance (accept awrt 3.8, or the correctly calculated ft value from an alternative but justified morpheme count)
(a) Answer: MLU = 19 morphemes / 5 utterances = 3.8 morphemes per utterance.
(b) B1 Stage V (MLU range approximately 3.75 to 4.5) (oe, ft from the MLU calculated in part (a) provided the stage boundary is correctly matched)
(b) Answer: Stage V, since an MLU of 3.8 falls within the approximate range of 3.75 to 4.5 morphemes per utterance.
(c) B1 Any valid reason relating to individual variation in the rate of language development between children of the same age (oe)
(c) B1 Any other valid reason, e.g. the quality/quantity of child-directed speech and interaction Freya receives (as seen in the transcript), exposure to older siblings or frequent one-to-one adult attention, all of which are associated with accelerated development (oe); accept reference to the small sample size (only 5 utterances) making the figure unreliable as a general measure
(c) Answer: Possible reasons include: (1) normal individual variation, since children of the same chronological age can differ considerably in developmental rate; (2) rich, responsive child-directed speech and one-to-one interaction of the kind seen in the transcript, which research associates with faster language development.

Question 5

(a) B1 Names the process as gliding (oe)
(a) B1 Explains that the liquid consonant /r/ has been replaced with the glide /w/ within the consonant cluster (oe)
(a) Answer: Gliding: the liquid /r/ in the consonant cluster /tr/ is replaced with the glide /w/, giving 'twactor' instead of 'tractor'.
(b) B1 Names the process as metathesis (oe)
(b) B1 Explains that two sounds within the word have been transposed/reordered, so the medial /m/ and /n/ sounds swap position (oe)
(b) Answer: Metathesis: sounds within the word are reordered, so that the sequence /n...m/ in 'animal' becomes /m...n/ in 'aminal'.
(c) B1 Names the process as (velar) fronting (oe)
(c) B1 Explains that the velar consonant /g/ is replaced with the alveolar consonant /d/, produced further forward in the mouth (oe)
(c) Answer: Velar fronting: the velar consonant /g/, produced at the back of the mouth, is replaced with the alveolar consonant /d/, produced further forward, giving 'doose' for 'goose'.

Question 6

(a) B1 Identifies that the regular past tense -ed inflection has been applied to the irregular verb 'eat' (correct form 'ate') (oe)
(a) B1 Explains that this is a 'virtuous error' because it shows the child has correctly learned and productively applied the regular past tense rule, rather than simply imitating adult speech (oe)
(a) Answer: The regular past tense inflection -ed has been overgeneralised to the irregular verb 'eat', producing 'eated' instead of 'ate'. This is a virtuous error because it demonstrates that Freya has internalised a productive grammatical rule rather than merely repeating forms she has heard.
(b) B1 Identifies that the regular plural -s inflection has been applied to 'sheep', which has an irregular (zero-change) plural form (oe)
(b) B1 Explains that this is a 'virtuous error' because it shows productive, rule-governed use of the plural morpheme rather than rote-learned imitation (oe)
(b) Answer: The regular plural inflection -s has been overgeneralised to 'sheep', which has the same form in the singular and plural, producing 'sheeps'. This is a virtuous error because it shows Freya has correctly generalised the regular plural rule rather than simply copying an adult model.
(c) B1 Identifies that the regular past tense -ed inflection has been applied to the irregular verb 'find' (correct form 'found') (oe)
(c) B1 Explains that this is a 'virtuous error' because it reflects productive rule application, not direct imitation of adult input, which would be unlikely to contain 'founded' (oe)
(c) Answer: The regular past tense inflection -ed has been overgeneralised to the irregular verb 'find', producing 'founded' instead of 'found'. This is a virtuous error because an adult would be very unlikely to model 'founded', showing Freya has applied a grammatical rule creatively rather than imitating input.

Question 7

Level 1 (1-2): Simple, generalised comment on the conversation with little or no reference to the transcript; terminology is absent or used inaccurately.
Level 2 (3-4): Some relevant identification of turn-taking features (e.g. question-answer pairs) with limited or undeveloped textual reference; basic terminology used with occasional inaccuracy.
Level 3 (5-6): Clear analysis of turn-taking and pragmatic features supported by relevant, well-chosen textual reference (e.g. adjacency pairs, repair sequences); terminology used accurately.
Level 4 (7-8): Sophisticated, detailed analysis exploring how conversational control shifts across the interaction and how the mother supports Freya's participation, supported by precise textual reference throughout; conceptualised, accurate use of terminology.
Indicative content:
- Many turns follow adjacency pairs initiated by the mother (question) and completed by Freya (answer), e.g. lines 1-2 and lines 20-21.
- The mother often reformulates Freya's utterance as a well-formed question (line 21, 'where's the rabbit gone') which both checks understanding and models correct syntax; this functions as a form of scaffolded repair.
- The mother allows extended pauses without taking over the turn (line 2, '(2.0)'; line 22, '(3.0)'), giving Freya time and conversational space to respond, which supports the child's turn-taking rights.
- Freya increasingly initiates topics herself as the interaction develops (line 16, 'dis one what dat'; line 26, 'aminal dat aminal too'), showing growing pragmatic competence and greater control of the conversation.
- The mother's confirmations and praise (lines 3, 7, 23 and 25) function as positive feedback that maintains the conversational floor and encourages Freya's continued participation.
- Overall the mother initially dominates turn allocation through questioning, but control becomes more balanced as Freya takes on more initiating turns, illustrating the gradual development of pragmatic and conversational skill.

Question 8

Level 1 (1-2): Simple, generalised comment about the mother's speech with little or no reference to the transcript; terminology absent or misused.
Level 2 (3-4): Some relevant identification of CDS features (e.g. repetition, questions) with limited or undeveloped textual reference; basic terminology used.
Level 3 (5-6): Clear analysis of a range of CDS features supported by relevant textual reference, with a reasonable attempt to explain their function; terminology used accurately.
Level 4 (7-8): Sophisticated, detailed analysis of a range of CDS features, supported by precise textual reference throughout, with a well-developed evaluation of how each feature supports language acquisition; conceptualised, accurate use of terminology.
Indicative content:
- Expansion: in line 9 the mother repeats and grammatically completes Freya's utterance 'cow eated grass' as 'the cow ate the grass...the cow's eating the grass', modelling the correct past and present tense forms while preserving Freya's intended meaning.
- Recasting: in line 21 the mother reformulates Freya's telegraphic question 'wabbit where wabbit gone' as the full question 'where's the rabbit gone (.) is he hiding', providing an accurate grammatical model without directly correcting the error.
- Simplified, exaggerated questioning and repetition: the mother frequently uses short questions and repeats key vocabulary (e.g. 'cow' in lines 1, 3, 5 and 7), which is characteristic of CDS and helps to reinforce new lexical items.
- Positive reinforcement and praise: phrases such as 'clever girl', 'well done' and 'you did' (lines 3, 7, 23, 25) function to encourage further verbal contributions and maintain Freya's engagement, which can be linked to a behaviourist as well as an interactionist account of CDS.
- Tag questions and checking understanding: forms such as 'don't they' (line 3) and 'doesn't it' (line 19) invite Freya's continued participation and model further grammatical structures.
- Overall, the mother's CDS combines linguistic scaffolding (expansion, recasting) with affective/motivational support (praise), both of which are argued by interactionist theorists such as Bruner to support the child's developing linguistic competence within a Language Acquisition Support System (LASS).

Question 9

(a) B1 Names the function as regulatory (oe)
(a) B1 Justifies with reference to the utterance controlling the mother's behaviour, i.e. requesting that she show/produce another cow (oe)
(a) Answer: Regulatory function: Freya is attempting to control her mother's behaviour by requesting that another cow be produced or shown.
(b) B1 Names the function as instrumental (oe)
(b) B1 Justifies with reference to the utterance expressing a personal need/want (hunger, food) rather than seeking to control another's action or gain information (oe)
(b) Answer: Instrumental function: Freya is using language to satisfy a personal need, expressing hunger and requesting food.
(c) B1 Names the function as heuristic (oe)
(c) B1 Justifies with reference to the utterance being used to seek information about the world, i.e. asking what an unfamiliar object is (oe)
(c) Answer: Heuristic function: Freya is using language to explore and find out about the world around her, asking what the unfamiliar object is.
(d) B1 Names the function as informative (oe)
(d) B1 Justifies with reference to the utterance conveying/relaying a piece of information about the world, i.e. reporting that the goose makes a hissing sound (oe)
(d) Answer: Informative function: Freya is using language to convey a piece of information to her mother, namely that the goose hisses.

Question 10

(a) B1 Identifies and names the technique as expansion (oe)
(a) B1 Explains the immediate linguistic effect: the mother repeats Freya's meaning but supplies the grammatically correct past and present tense forms ('ate'/'eating'), preserving her intended meaning without a direct, discouraging correction (oe)
(a) B1 Links this to Bruner's LASS: the mother acts as a More Knowledgeable Other, providing a supportive framework of interaction within which language can be acquired (oe)
(a) B1 Explains a plausible developmental benefit: exposure to the correct target form within a meaningful, motivating context (rather than explicit correction) is argued to help the child internalise correct grammatical structures over time (oe, ft)
(a) Answer: The mother uses expansion, repeating Freya's utterance while supplying the grammatically complete forms 'ate' and 'eating'. Within Bruner's LASS, this positions the mother as a More Knowledgeable Other providing scaffolded input; by modelling correct forms in a meaningful context rather than explicitly correcting Freya, she supports the gradual internalisation of correct past and present tense marking.
(b) B1 Identifies and names the technique as recasting (oe)
(b) B1 Explains the immediate linguistic effect: the mother reformulates Freya's telegraphic question ('wabbit where wabbit gone') as a full grammatical question with correct word order and auxiliary use (oe)
(b) B1 Links this to Bruner's LASS: the mother sustains and extends the interaction (adding 'is he hiding') rather than simply answering, keeping Freya within a supported dialogic exchange (oe)
(b) B1 Explains a plausible developmental benefit: the recast provides a model of target syntax immediately relevant to Freya's own communicative intention, which research suggests is more effective than isolated grammar instruction (oe, ft)
(b) Answer: The mother uses recasting, reformulating Freya's telegraphic question as a full, grammatically correct question and extending it with a follow-up ('is he hiding'). Within Bruner's LASS framework, this sustains a joint, supported dialogue in which the correct target structure is modelled at the exact point the child needs it, which is argued to be a highly effective form of scaffolded input for grammatical development.

Question 11

Level 1 (1-2): Simple, generalised comment on one or both theories with little or no reference to the transcript; terminology absent or inaccurate.
Level 2 (3-5): Some relevant knowledge of Skinner and/or Chomsky, with limited or one-sided use of transcript evidence; basic terminology used, with a largely additive rather than comparative structure.
Level 3 (6-8): Clear, accurate knowledge of both theories, supported by relevant transcript evidence for each, with a genuine attempt to compare their explanatory power; terminology used accurately.
Level 4 (9-10): Sophisticated, well-substantiated comparison of both theories, integrating precise transcript evidence throughout and reaching a supported evaluative conclusion about their relative strengths and limitations; conceptualised, accurate terminology.
Indicative content:
- Skinner's behaviourist theory: some evidence in the transcript could support a reinforcement account, e.g. the mother's praise ('clever girl', 'well done') following Freya's correct or successful utterances, which could be read as positive reinforcement encouraging repetition of similar language.
- However, Freya's overgeneralised forms ('eated', 'sheeps', 'founded') would not have been directly modelled or reinforced by an adult, which is difficult for a purely imitation/reinforcement-based account to explain.
- Chomsky's nativist theory: the systematic, rule-governed nature of Freya's overgeneralisations suggests she has extracted an abstract grammatical rule (regular past tense/plural) and applied it productively and creatively, consistent with an innate Language Acquisition Device (LAD) rather than simple copying.
- The relatively rapid, rule-based development shown across the transcript (e.g. consistent use of the -ed morpheme, if incorrectly applied) can be used to support Chomsky's poverty-of-the-stimulus argument, that children produce forms that go beyond the specific input they receive.
- A balanced answer might note that the transcript also shows the mother providing rich, structured input (expansions, recasts) that a purely nativist account may underplay, suggesting neither theory alone fully accounts for the data and that an interactionist account (see Q12) may better integrate innate capacity with environmental support.
- Credit any well-substantiated, transcript-supported argument reaching a different but justified conclusion about the relative explanatory power of the two theories.

Question 12

Level 0 (0): Nothing worthy of credit.
Level 1 (1-5): Simple, generalised assertions about theories of acquisition with little or no reference to the transcript; terminology largely absent or inaccurate; no coherent line of argument.
Level 2 (6-10): Some relevant knowledge of at least two theoretical positions, with limited or occasional textual reference; basic terminology used; response is descriptive rather than evaluative.
Level 3 (11-15): Clear knowledge of behaviourist, nativist and interactionist positions, supported by relevant transcript evidence; a reasonable attempt to evaluate the given view is made, with accurate terminology, though development may be uneven across the response.
Level 4 (16-20): Detailed, well-substantiated evaluation of the given view, integrating precise transcript evidence with secure theoretical knowledge; a sustained, developed line of argument is present; terminology used accurately and consistently.
Level 5 (21-25): Sophisticated, conceptualised evaluation of the given view, synthesising theoretical knowledge and precise, wide-ranging transcript evidence into a coherent and convincing argument, showing awareness of the limitations of the evidence and of competing interpretations; assured, accurate use of terminology throughout.
Indicative content:
- A purely behaviourist account (Skinner) struggles to explain Freya's systematic overgeneralisations ('eated', 'founded', 'sheeps'), which are not directly modelled by the adult and so cannot simply be the product of imitation and reinforcement.
- A purely nativist account (Chomsky) captures the rule-governed, creative nature of these errors well, consistent with an innate Language Acquisition Device, but arguably underplays the clearly supportive, structured role of the mother's speech shown throughout the transcript.
- An interactionist account (Vygotsky, Bruner) can integrate both insights: it accepts an innate predisposition for language while emphasising that actual development is realised through social interaction, for example the mother's expansions (line 9) and recasts (line 21), which operate within Freya's zone of proximal development.
- Bruner's Language Acquisition Support System (LASS) is directly evidenced by the mother's scaffolding techniques, sustained turn-taking, and responsiveness to Freya's initiations (e.g. lines 16, 26), suggesting that social support materially shapes the pace and direction of Freya's development, not merely an innate mechanism unfolding independently.
- Vygotsky's concept of the More Knowledgeable Other and joint attention is evident in the shared focus on the farm toys throughout the transcript, which provides a meaningful, motivating context for new vocabulary such as 'tractor' and 'goose'.
- A strong answer will also evaluate the limitations of using a single, short transcript as evidence for any general theory, e.g. the difficulty of generalising from one child's data, and will reach a substantiated conclusion (for example, that an interactionist account best integrates the evidence, while acknowledging that innate cognitive/linguistic capacity, as emphasised by nativists, is a necessary precondition that interactionism itself depends upon).
- Credit any well-argued alternative conclusion (for example, prioritising a nativist reading) provided it is substantiated with precise, relevant transcript evidence and secure theoretical knowledge.