Child Language Development, Function and Society from a Functional Perspective

It is well known that almost every normal child can acquire his mother tongue in a few years after he was born. Language development admittedly is remarkable phenomenon and also a basically universal human achievement. The aspect of child language acquisition attracts great interest from many linguists and researchers and produces many distinct theoretical standpoints. If we can be aware of how and when children get a command of their native language, it may contribute to adults' second language learning and shed some light on our understanding of the nature of language and also the nature of human mind. In this article, it take a look at child language development from Halliday's perspective and endeavor to make clear the relationship between child language development and language function as well as the relationship between child language development and society.