LEARN · PRACTISE · DISCOVER
Language and Moral Development
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LEARN · PRACTISE · DISCOVER
Join to unlock this lesson and the full course library, or log in if you are already a member.
LEARN · PRACTISE · DISCOVER
Language and moral reasoning are two of the most remarkable achievements of childhood. Within a few years, children go from crying to telling stories, and from obeying out of fear to reasoning about fairness. This lesson covers language development, the perspectives of Skinner, Bandura and Chomsky, and moral development, especially the theories of Piaget and Kohlberg and cultural variations in moral reasoning.
Speech is the production of spoken sounds; language is a system of symbols and rules for communicating meaning, which can be spoken, written or signed.
| Approximate age | Stage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| birth–2 months | crying, reflexive sounds | different cries for hunger or discomfort |
| about 2–4 months | cooing | vowel-like sounds such as “ooo”, “aaa” |
| about 6–10 months | babbling | repeated syllables like “ba-ba”, “da-da” |
| about 12 months | first words (holophrase) | “milk” meaning “I want milk” |
| about 18–24 months | two-word stage | “mummy go”, “more juice” |
| about 2–3 years | telegraphic speech | short sentences without small words: “Daddy go office” |
| 3–6 years | rapid vocabulary and grammar growth | full sentences, questions, stories |
Children usually understand more words than they can say: receptive language develops ahead of expressive language.
| Theorist | Perspective | Key idea | Classroom implication |
|---|---|---|---|
| B. F. Skinner | behaviourist | language is learned through imitation, reinforcement and conditioning | praise attempts to speak; provide good models |
| Albert Bandura | social learning | children learn language by observing and imitating models | teachers and parents should model rich, correct language |
| Noam Chomsky | nativist | children are born with an innate Language Acquisition Device (LAD) and a universal grammar | provide a language-rich environment; children actively construct grammar |
Children produce sentences they have never heard, and they make “logical” errors such as “goed” or “mouses”, showing they are applying grammar rules rather than only copying. Critics point out that social interaction and environment also matter greatly, so most educators combine these views.
Accept children’s home language, encourage talk through stories, songs and discussion, and avoid ridiculing errors. NEP 2020 encourages using the mother tongue or local language as the medium of instruction where possible, at least up to Class 5.
Moral development is the growth of a child’s understanding of right and wrong and their ability to act on it.
Lawrence Kohlberg studied moral reasoning using dilemmas such as the Heinz dilemma. He proposed three levels and six stages.
| Level | Stage | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-conventional | 1. Obedience and punishment orientation | right is what avoids punishment |
| Pre-conventional | 2. Individualism and exchange | right is what serves my interest; “you help me, I help you” |
| Conventional | 3. Good interpersonal relationships (“good boy–good girl”) | right is what pleases others and gains approval |
| Conventional | 4. Maintaining social order (law and order) | right is obeying laws and doing one’s duty |
| Post-conventional | 5. Social contract and individual rights | laws are agreements that can be changed for the common good |
| Post-conventional | 6. Universal ethical principles | right is guided by principles of justice and human dignity |
Kohlberg focused on the reasoning behind a decision, not the decision itself. Most primary-age children reason at the pre-conventional or early conventional level.
Critics argue Kohlberg’s stages reflect Western, individualistic values. Carol Gilligan proposed an ethic of care, emphasising relationships and responsibility. Research across cultures shows that communities differ in how much they emphasise individual rights, duty to family and community, respect for elders or religious principles. Teachers should respect this diversity while encouraging fairness and empathy.
In a Class 5 value-education period, the teacher tells a story about a boy who finds a lost purse. She asks not “What should he do?” but “Why?” Some children answer “He will be punished if caught” (stage 1), some “His parents will be proud” (stage 3), and a few “Because it belongs to someone who needs it” (moving towards principled reasoning). Discussing the reasons helps children’s moral thinking develop.