Most frequent linguistic errors in children from 3 to 6 years old

When children begin to speak, they make a series of linguistic errors as a result of their learning process. In fact, sometimes we are alarmed when we see that our child pronounces 3-word sentences that are too simple or that he barely speaks, but this does not have to be a problem. Therefore, it is important to know when to worry and when to take these small errors as simple phases in the development process.

It should also be taken into account that some of these errors They frequently happen to us adults: the famous slips of the tongue. Involuntary errors that we make when we want to say one word, but pronounce another or when we involuntarily exchange concepts.

This is because our thoughts sometimes do not appear grammatically assembled in our mind and, therefore, we have to carry out a process of choosing the most appropriate words. Let’s see below the most common linguistic errors in children from 3 to 6 years old depending on the unit affected.

Semantic errors (lexicon and meaning)

At the semantic level, between 2 and 3 years old, children make a lot of progress in the processes of categorization and conceptualization. So, They begin to produce and understand a very high number of meanings, although they still do not reach the level that older children or adults have. In fact, between 2 and 6 years old, children usually learn 5 words a day. Do the math!

When they start using a new word, children are not aware of its true meaning. Little by little, they learn and reduce this semantic difference thanks to their mistakes (trial-error) and their environment. That is to say, It refines the meaning of the concepts. However, in this learning process, two types of linguistic errors occur:

Due to mismatch: They are those in which the child refers to something by another name. For example, she calls a stuffed animal a “ball” or a “dog” a “car.” Although they are rare, they are the result of an inadequacy between the signified and the signifier.By overlap: They are more frequent than the previous ones and occur when there is a partial coincidence between the meaning that the child gives to the word and the real or adult meaning. These, in turn, are of two types.Overextensions are the most common at these ages. They arise when the child extends the meaning of a concept to things, places or people that have traits in common with him. For example, when he calls all the women he interacts with “mom” or all the animals with legs “dog.”The infraextensions They are the opposite, limitations of the semantic field of the word. They occur when the infant calls “chairs” only the ones in the kitchen of his house and not the rest.

Phonological errors (sounds)

Phonological errors are linguistic errors that occur in phonemes, the smallest unit of language. Sometimes these faults They affect the entire word, syllables of it, or just some phonemes. Thus, sometimes children do not pronounce unstressed syllables, they “eat” letters or do not pronounce the final consonant of words.

They are of several types:

In anticipation (suddenly lame > suddenlyeither lame) Of perseverance (there is the stool > there is the stoolto) Of phoneme exchange (“robbers > attackdores; at all > in acquitted).

There are children who pronounce a very limited number of phonemes but do it very well. Others, more intrepid, choose to try to articulate words that are beyond their capabilities. In general, Every child has their own articulation preferences.

Morphosyntactic errors

Morphology and syntax are two basic components of language. Children, in the development of this morphosyntactic component, usually resort to different acquisition mechanisms.

Children are like parrots! They repeat everything they hear and even what they shouldn’t. That’s why, When their parents say clichés, proverbs or linguistic formulas, they try to copy them. But they remember them en masse, as a whole. Not word for word.

Therefore, when they begin to imitate them and reproduce them out loud, without being aware of how they have been constructed, They are only able to say them in the context in which they have learned them. For example, if they hear their mother say “How handsome you look today” to her husband, children will choose to reproduce those same words at home and in the same situation. They do not generalize that formula.

Likewise, when they are learning, 3-year-old children do not know how the language system is structured. They are not aware of the grammar rules, nor that words are constructed based on certain criteria. Therefore, they learn syntactic forms independent and isolated from each other.

As time goes by, they realize that There are rules to which they have to submit and they take them to the extreme. This is what is known as hyperregulation. Examples of it are “I have broken” > “I have broken” and “I don’t know” > “I don’t know”.

When to be alarmed?

There are certain type of linguistic behaviors that may be inappropriate for their developmental age and indicate some delay in language acquisition and development. Some of them are:

Incorrect articulation of most sounds.Use of isolated or very poor phrases. Use of sentences made up of only three words or less (up to 36 months it is usually normal).Systematic omission of verbs, prepositions, pronouns or articles in sentences.The vast majority of his oral emissions are unintelligible and almost incomprehensible.Excessive use of gesture language to make oneself understood.Poor vocabulary and lexicon. He shows no signs of progressively acquiring words.

However, the child’s linguistic errors are not symptoms of a setback in the development of his or her linguistic skills. Quite the opposite. They are a sign that the child is progressing and beginning to understand the language system. (Borregón, 2008).

Bibliography

Arias, O., Fidalgo, R., Franco, N. and García, JN (2007). Evaluation and intervention in expressive language disorders (pp. 133-142). Madrid: Pyramid.

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