Correct option is D
The process of first language acquisition follows a universal sequence of developmental stages. The correct order of these stages is:
- Cooing: This occurs at around 6–8 weeks of age. Infants produce vowel-like sounds such as "ooo" and "ahhh." It is the earliest form of vocalization.
- Babbling: This begins around 4–6 months. Babies experiment with consonant-vowel combinations like "ba," "da," and "ma."
- Holophrastic Stage: Around 12 months, infants use single words (holophrases) to represent entire sentences, e.g., "milk" meaning "I want milk."
- Two-word Stage: At around 18–24 months, children start combining two words, such as "want cookie" or "big car."
- Telegraphic Speech: At 2–3 years, children form sentences missing smaller grammatical elements, such as "Daddy go work" or "want play toy."
This order reflects the natural progression of language acquisition across cultures.
Information Booster
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- Cooing and Babbling: Serve as the foundation for sound articulation.
- Holophrastic Stage: Marks the beginning of meaning assignment to speech.
- Two-word Stage: Shows the ability to establish relationships between words.
- Telegraphic Speech: Highlights the emergence of syntax, although grammatical markers are often omitted.
- The sequence is consistent regardless of language spoken, indicating a biological basis for language acquisition.