Adolescent Language Development and Use

Many years ago, it was widely believed that language development was virtually complete by the time a child reached 5 or 6 years of age and that further growth in language beyond those years consisted mainly of refinements in the use of grammar and the addition of school-related vocabulary words. In the 1970s, however, researchers in the United States began publishing studies of language development in older children and adolescents, reporting that substantial growth occurred well beyond the preschool years in areas such as the use of complex syntax in spoken and written language.

Since those early days, researchers from around the world have continued to study later language development with intensity, reporting that substantial changes occur not only in syntax and vocabulary but also in the areas of figurative language, verbal reasoning, and pragmatics—the social use of language. This article will highlight some of the key aspects of spoken and written language that develop during adolescence, encompassing the years between 12 and 18. It should be noted that changes that occur during these years are gradual, and [Page 4]that growth is most apparent when individuals from widely separated age groups (e.g., 12 versus 15 years) are compared in research studies. It should also be noted that an adolescent's performance on measures of later language development is impacted by a variety of external factors, including educational opportunities, socioeconomic status, and family influences, and that teens whose schools, neighborhoods, and parents support academic achievement are likely to demonstrate more advanced spoken and written language skills than their less fortunate peers. It also must be mentioned that growth in language in all areas continues beyond adolescence and into adulthood.