Learning to Talk: Lexis and Semantics

Lexis is the vocabulary of a language including its words and idioms. It is one of the critical aspects of child language development understanding.
Children begin to develop their lexis from birth, beginning with simple sounds and progressing towards more complex words and phrases.
By their first year, most children can utter a few simple, single words like ‘mama’, ‘dada’. These first words often relate to their immediate environment and necessities.
The acquisition of vocabulary rapidly increases during the second year, with a child’s lexicon expanding to around 200 words by the age of two.
This phase is often referred to as the ‘word spurt’ or ‘naming explosion’, where children’s vocabulary acquisition can increase from learning a word a week to a word a day.
Semantics is the field of language study that explores meaning in language, including changes in meaning and ambiguities, which children learn over time.
Children begin to understand that words can have multiple meanings by the age of seven or eight.
Overgeneralization and undergeneralization are common phenomena in semantics. Overgeneralization is when children apply rules of language too broadly, while undergeneralization is applying them too narrowly.
There are Two major strategies children use while learning new words: Fast mapping – a quick assumption about the meaning of a word – and slow mapping – refining understandings of a word over time through repeated exposure.
Different theories explain the development of lexis and semantics: Behaviorist theory (Skinner) stresses the role of imitation and reinforcement, while Nativist theory (Chomsky) asserting innate ability and language acquisition device. Interactionist theories (Bruner), meanwhile, point out a interplay of both genetic dispositions and environmental factors.
Children’s errors while learning lexis and semantics – such as over-extensions and under-extensions – provide insight into their understanding of language and categories. For example, if a child identifies every four-legged animal as a ‘doggy’, they are displaying an over-extension.
Correction usually comes from adults or older children who model the correct use, which facilitates the refinement of the semantic field.
It’s important to note that socio-cultural factors can influence a child’s lexis and semantic development. For instance, the language spoken at home, exposure to reading and storytelling, and the variety of linguistic stimuli can greatly enhance or hinder a child’s lexical and semantic growth.
In sum, child language development, particularly in the domain of lexis and semantics, is an intricate process that varies from child to child. Both are hallmarks of increasing complexity and sophistication in a child’s language, also reflecting cognitive development.