On Language Development in the School Years

Bruner (1960) has claimed that any subject can be taught effectively ‘in some intellectually honest form to any child at any stage of development’. Without taking up the challenge of exploring what might here be meant by ‘effectively’ and ‘intellectually honest’, it is at least possible to make the point that much will depend on how language is used in the endeavour. This will depend in part on children’s capabilities in producing and understanding speech, and these will vary with stages of development. In this chapter we shall be concerned with a discussion of language development as a basis for effective instruction during the school years, bearing in mind that it is itself a product of learning and guidance.