Teaching English to Young Learners

A fable once said that language indicates each of its nations. If we gave its meaning more thought, it might help us understand and deal with any situations where language and attitudes or behaviours of groups of language speakers are connected. (Alwi, 2004:21). Understanding is likely to reinforce one's belief in the contribution of language to cultural development.

The four areas of language are phonology, grammar, semantics, and pragmatics. These four concepts deal with the meaning or content of the language (semantics), the way the language is used (pragmatics), and the sounds of the language (phonology and grammar) (Bloom & Lahey, 1978). The expectation that language practitioners will create, acquire, and understand language is present in each of these domains. The study of language, its structure, and the principles guiding that structure is known as linguistics. Language has historically been examined by linguists, who are experts in the discipline of linguistics, in terms of several subjects of study. Speech-language pathologists are highly trained to diagnose and treat language disorders as well as the subfields that make up language. They include phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.

First and foremost, the smallest unit of sound in a language that distinguishes itself meaningfully is called a phoneme. The letters /b/, /i/, and /t/ make up the three phonemes in the word "bit," and the letters /t/ make up the three phonemes in the word "pit" as well. "p," I and "t." The positions and movements of the vocal tract, which includes the lips, teeth, tongue, vocal cords, and throat, form phonemes in spoken languages, but in sign languages, phonemes are defined by the shapes and motions of the hands. There are around 45 phonemes in English. Phonology is the study of phonemes, which are the speech sounds of a particular language, whereas phonemes are the smallest units of sound in language. Phonetics is the study of specific speech sounds. The ability to recognise and produce language's sounds is known as phonology (Bloom & Lahey, 1978). The smallest linguistic elements, or phonemes, correspond to specific sounds. For instance, the word "chip" consists of the phonemes /ch/, /i/, and /p/. These three noises are all phonemes. A phoneme ignores the letter or letter combinations in favour of the sound alone. Simply put, language is made up of the elements of sound. By focusing on these sounds, children show phonemic awareness and the ability to hear and separate them. As children link sounds to letters and groups of letters, phonics is the last part of phonology to emerge.

Secondly, the use of individual words and sounds in combination to convey meaning is known as grammar (Bates et al, 1992). Word combinations are governed by grammar rules while conveying information. Syntax and morphology are both parts of grammar. The development of complex words and sentences is made possible by morphology, which focuses on the structure of the word itself. For instance, adding a "s" to the end of several words makes them plural (e.g., bird and birds). The smallest linguistic units with meaning are called morphemes. The smallest units of meaning in a language are called morphemes, which are composed of a string of one or more phonemes. While most morphemes are constructed from combinations of phonemes, some morphemes, notably one-letter words like "I" and "a," are also phonemes. Certain morphemes function as prefixes and suffixes on other words. For instance, the prefix "re-," found in words like "rewrite" and "repay," means "to do again," and the suffix "-est," found in words like "happiest" and "coolest," indicates "to the fullest." The study of words and other significant linguistic constructions like suffixes and prefixes is known as morphology. The relationship between words like "dog" and "dogs" or "walk" and "walking," as well as how individuals distinguish between those words, would be of interest to morphologists. Certain prefixes and suffixes, such as "un" or "ing" in the phrases "undo," "untie," or "doing," "tying," have their own meaning. Using a morphological rule in every situation causes young children to regularly make mistakes in this area (Bates et al., 1992). For instance, a young child might say, "I wented there" (past tense /ed/) or "I saw the deers" (plural /s/).

Children follow these rules, which are complex and diverse, as best they can within the limitations of what they have already learnt. Our grammatical rules, including word order and phrasing, are governed by syntax. The collection of rules that govern a language's syntax are used to build sentences. The syntax is different in every language. Every phrase in English must start with a noun and a verb, both of which can be further defined by adjectives and adverbs. While other syntaxes do not, others do employ the order of the words. The study of sentences and phrases, or how individuals arrange words so they may communicate effectively, is known as syntax. The grammar of any language is composed of morphological rules and the underlying laws of syntax. The difference between saying "Eugene walked the dog" and "The dog walked Eugene" is an illustration of how syntax affects language. "Mother feeds Brother" has a distinct connotation than "Brother feeds Mother." According to Karmiloff and Karmiloff-Smith (2001), infants can recognise word order variations and subsequently learn to articulate words in diverse ways to modify their message. A youngster may say "Mommy phone" to simply convey that the phone belongs to mom or "Phone Mommy" to suggest that the phone is ringing or is otherwise in motion. As a parent volunteers in a classroom of four-year-olds, she will discover that all of her child's classmates refer to her as "Mei Mei's mom." The /s/ at the end of Mei Mei is a morpheme that denotes possession. It is a use of syntax that the youngster recognises as "mom Mei Mei's" as opposed to "Mei Mei's mom" as the order of the two words.

Moreover, semantics, which includes vocabulary, is the study of meaning (Bates et al., 1992). Semantics may concentrate on the importance of a single word or the significance of specific words within the context of a complete phrase. As an example, the word "friend" could be used as a noun in the sentence "I have a friend." When discussing social media, the word "friend" can also be a verb, as in "I will friend you." The usage determines whether we are talking about the actual person or only the connection to them, despite the similarities in the meanings, which both reflect a connection to another person. The non-verbal components of language, such as tone and gestures, are also included in semantics. For instance, "anything" could be a neutral response to the question, "What can I have from the snack table?" “Whatever.” It means that the child is permitted to eat anything on the table in this instance. "Whatever" can convey extreme dissatisfaction by changing pitch, emphasis, and voice tone. "I didn't know I couldn't have that," someone said. “Whatever!” Building a vocabulary is essential to learning and comprehending semantics.

Throughout the first few months and weeks, babies won't understand all they hear, but they will pay attention to how words are said and the meaning behind them. The use of the newly introduced terms, which are of course totally contextual, becomes more commonplace when exposed to abundant chances. For instance, three-year-old Ariana was given the option to choose between reading a book and a blanket or taking a nap with her bear and blanket. She responded by saying, "I want another 'ternative," to her mother. The vocabulary word "alternative," which Ariana now understands is used to denote an option, can be utilised even if it is difficult for her to pronounce. Individual variances in how quickly youngsters pick up new words depend on the kind of words they encounter and how they are integrated into conversations (Karmiloff & Karmiloff-Smith, 2001). The amount and calibre of opportunities are quite important. Due to the fact that all children are exposed to the language that the adults in their environment choose for them, it is crucial that early learning environments offer children rich and varied opportunities to be exposed to word meanings and word usage.

Next, the social or transactional use of language, which considers the conversation's context, is known as pragmatics. It includes not just what we say but also how and to whom we say it (Bates et al, 1992). Rules of etiquette, reciprocity, and the practical side of communication are all included in pragmatics. A pragmatics example is knowing that you should respond to a question when it is posed. Another example would be understanding when to keep quiet in specific circumstances or how to keep a talk on track. A crucial element of pragmatics is the use of various communicative modalities that are appropriate for various language partners. Saying "Hello!" to a friend is a common greeting. But one should always say "Good morning" to a boss. Nonverbal behaviour such as eye contact is an example of pragmatics. Early on, children could learn that giving someone a cheek kiss or a polite nod is the proper welcome.

These standards cover cultural knowledge and conversational roles. For instance, a kid may come to understand with time that greetings with a cheek kiss are appropriate for family members or those with a common heritage, but not for strangers. Pragmatics basically refers to the capacity to anticipate and pick up on indications coming from the other person, such as words, gestures, and non-verbal signs, and to respond appropriately. In general, semantics is concerned with how statements are understood. A person who studies semantics is interested in words and what they signify or point to in the real world. The study of pragmatics, an even more comprehensive area, focuses on how the context of a statement affects its meaning. For instance, saying "Fire!" when in control of a seven-gun salute and while seated in a crowded movie theatre have completely different connotations. Each language is unique. For those who speak and understand them, it makes sense for an adjective to appear after a noun in Spanish rather than the other way around in English ("red house").

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4. Karmiloff, K., & Karmiloff-Smith, A. (2001). Pathways to language: From fetus to adolescent. The developing child series. Harvard University Press.