Presentation Summary: Language DevelopmentThe development of human language is something that has piqued the interest of researchers and curious minds for centuries. Homo sapiens is unique in many ways, however the characteristic that truly sets us apart from other mammals is our ability to use complex language to communicate. Although human DNA is very similar to that of our ape cousins, humans are the only primates who are physiologically and cognitively capable of producing the sounds necessary to produce complex language. Within this short essay I will summarize the content of my presentation on language development including: the origins of human language; language development in humans; and how humans learn language. In doing so, I will provide the reader with a general overview of language development in humans that considers evolution, anatomy and physiology, cognitive development, and social factors as the basis for language development in humans. Origin of Human Language The origin of human language is a bit of a mystery. However, Christianson, Morton, and Kirby (2013) conclude that complex language is likely to have developed gradually alongside various other complex behaviors as the size of the human brain and resulting brain capacity increased. While this may seem speculative, fossil evidence along with examinations of primate anatomy show that species that preceded Homo sapiens and living non-human primates did not and do not have, respectively, the anatomical and physiological structures necessary to produce intricate sounds that are necessary for human language in its current complexity (Christiansen, Morton, & Kirby, 2003). Various competing theories have been developed in an attempt to e...... three and 10, and is in direct conflict with the language programs of most public schools because they typically begin second language programs during the high school years (Hoff, 2013). How We Learn Language Just like various other cognitive skills studied in developmental psychology, language acquisition occurs in loose stages that build on each previous stage. These stages include: lactation, which typically occurs between three and nine months; single words, which typically occur between 10 and 13 months; two-word phrases that occur around 18 months; and finally the beginning of multi-word sentences around the age of two (Yule, 2014; Saxton, 2012). For developmentally healthy children, language acquisition is a relatively rapid process. In fact, by the time a child enters school (around age five) he or she will likely know 10,000 to 15,000 words...