Languagelearningbeginswithlistening.Childrenaregreatlydifferentintheamountoflisteningtheydobeforetheystartspeaking,andlaterstartersareoftenlonglisteners.Mostchildrenwill“obey”spokeninstructionssometimebefor
Languagelearningbeginswithlistening.Childrenaregreatlydifferentintheamountoflisteningtheydobeforetheystartspeaking,andlaterstartersareoftenlonglisteners.Mostchildrenwill“obey”spokeninstructionssometimebeforetheycanspeak,thoughtheword“obey”ishardlyaccurateasadescriptionoftheeageranddelightedcooperationusuallyshownbythechild.Beforetheycanspeak,manychildrenwillalsoaskquestionsbygestureandbymakingquestioningnoises.Anyattempttostudythedevelopmentfromthenoisesbabiesmaketotheirfirstspokenwordsleadstoconsiderabledifficulties.Itisagreedthattheyenjoymakingnoises,andthatduringthefirstfewmonthsoneortwonoisessortthemselvesasparticularlyexpressiveasdelight,pain,friendliness,andsoon.Butsincethesecan’tbesaidtoshowthebaby’sintentiontocommunicate,theycanhardlyberegardedasearlyformsoflanguage.Itisagreed,too,thatfromaboutthreemonthstheyplaywithsoundsforenjoyment,andthatbysixmonthstheyareabletoaddnewwordstotheirstore.Thisself-imitation(模仿)leadsontodeliberate(有意的)imitationofsoundsmadeorwordsspokentothembyotherpeople.Theproblemthenarisesastothepointatwhichonecansaythattheseimitationscanbeconsideredasspeech.Itisaproblemweneedtogetout.Themeaningofaworddependsonwhataparticularpersonmeansbyitinaparticularsituationanditisclearthatwhatachildmeansbyawordwillchangeashegainsmoreexperienceoftheworld.Thustheuseatsevenmonthsof“mama”asagreetingforhismothercannotbedismissedasameaninglesssoundsimplybecausehealsousesitatothertimesforhisfather,hisdog,oranythingelsehelikes.Playfulandmeaninglessimitationofwhatotherpeoplesaycontinuesafterthechildhasbeguntospeakforhimself,Idoubt,howeverwhetheranythingisgainedwhenparentstakeadvantageofthisabilityinanattempttoteachnewsounds.
1..Beforechildrenstartspeaking,whatisgreatlydifferent?________.
A.theamountoflistening
B.anumberoflistening
C.thesoundoflistening
D.themeaningoflistening
2.startersareoftenlonglisteners,thesentencemeansonecan________.
A.behardtospeakfluently
B.begintospeakqu