The-pre school years
1. At the age of four, most children have aquired the basic strucures of the language. (ask questions, give commands, give reports)
2. Children (3-4 year olds) begin to learn vocabulary at the rate of several words a day.
3. They develop their ability in using the language in a widening social environment and variety of situations.
4. Children also begin to develop metalinguistic awareness. E.g, the ability to treat language as an object separate from the meaning it conveys.