Language Should Be “Fun”

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31775, 4 September 1968, Page 2

Language Should Be “Fun”

Language should not be used as a blunt, regulatory instrument, but as a means of helping a child to explore relationships and environment. Professor P. J. Lawrence, professor of education at the University of Canterbury, told Christchurch play centre supervisors yesterday.

Studies of the language patterns of middle and lower class families revealed quite different structures. The former was an “elaborated code of communication” existing in its own right, but the latter was restricted to a vocal gesture that was meaningless outside its relationship between two people, he said. Two exchanges in a bus between mothers and children were given as examples of the two patterns.

Mother: “Hold on tight.” Child: “Why?” Mother: "You will fall.” Child: “Why?” Mother: “I told you to hold on tight” The second conversation followed the same lines but the mother addressed the child affectionately and explained the reasons for her command: “If you don’t hold on you will fall; if the bus stops suddenly you will fail and hurt yourself on the front seat”

In both cases the categorical statement was applied eventually but In the first instance the child’s natural curiosity was blunted and in the second it was exposed to reasoning and sequence. Russian Study The now famous Russian study of four-year-old twins who did not begin to communicate vocally until they were separated showed their organisation and creativity in play improved with development of speech. When one was given Intensive language instruction even his personal relationships improved in comparison with the other twin.

“The Russians have done a tremendous amount of research on language development in children. One of the most interesting aspects of this is their study on how children use language to regu-

late their own behaviour,” said Professor Lawrence. Development came in three phases. The child reacted first to words which initiated action. Understanding of words which inhibited him came later. Not Perverse "This explains the apparent perversity of the small child who understands English perfectly when given a positive command but not when given a negative,” he said. Later still came understanding of preparatory language, for example an instruction to do something at a stated time. “A child who can understand a direct order cannot seem to carry an instruction in his mind for very long. This is a much more sophisticated concept and understanding comes at a later date,” he said.

Research also pointed out that language arose in the first instance out of inter-action between mother and child, who shared experiences with each other rather than communicating messages to each other. Parents must remember that with language they were dealing with the spoken word. Children should be encouraged to use speech as a means of communication, and in fostering this parents needed endless patience. Learning language should be fun, Professor Lawrence said.