Examine the factors which affect language Development

Learning to talk is one of the most visible and important achievements of early childhood. In a matter of months, and without advanced teaching, toddlers move from hesitant single words to sentences, and from a small vocabulary to one that is growing by a few new words a day. New language tools mean new opportunities for social understanding, for learning about the world, and for sharing experiences, pleasures and needs. It also means being able to understand simple instruction which aid in the teaching and learning process of the child. This paper will look at factors that affect the development of language in Zimbabwe and the world in general. It will look at what renowned scholars say about the development of language.

Definition of terms
Language according to Fredd C.C Peng(2007) is a behavior which utilizes body parts, the vocal apparatus and the visual system for oral language, the brachial apparatus and the visual system for sign language. Such body parts are controlled by the brain for their functions. E. Bruce Goldstein (2008) defines language as a system of communication using sounds or symbols that enable us to express our feelings, thoughts, ideas and experience. lastly Language can be defined as a means of communication. Cooper(1989) defines language Development as the result of the series of on-going planned actions that language communities take to ensure that that they can effectively use their languages to achieve their social, cultural, political, economic and spiritual goals. In summary Language development is the process which starts early in human life where children grow in their acquisition of human language from a single word to rich sentences.

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