Explain some of the difficulties a child might encounter in its acquisition of vocabulary from the time it speaks to the age of seven. You can also refer to some phonological features, as well as considering ideas such as the use of concrete and abstract nouns, overextension, acquisition of grammar words etc.

In the first stage of language acquististion, the sensorimotor stage, the child doesn't especially focus on language, more on experienting what they can do with their mouth and bodies. Much of this stage is phonological, playing with mouth movement and moving their bodies language is physical. Imitation is found at this point, when the baby is opening their mouth and playing around with sounds they may hear from caregivers. The context of where these sounds should be made will also be learnt, this stage will last until the child is around 2. During this one or two word stage mainly concrete nouns will be used as abstract ideas will not be familiar to the child.

The next stage, the preoperational stage, focuses very much around talking. Over talking is seen, as the child seems to say everything, even the things that people who are watching the child can see that they are doing, but the child describes it anyway. there is little distinction between thinking and talking aloud at this point. Difficulties during this stage, when the child is talking a lot, may be over extension seeing that a ball looks like an apple so calling it that and seeing that apple is a fruit so calling all fruit "apple". Abstract nouns will most probably be unused during the beginning of this stage as abstract ideas are not seen and concrete nound are easier to learn and the child can see them.