英語是世界共通的語言，從二十一世紀電腦網際網路時代，暨國際社會人文、科 技知識交流、情感互動的必要溝通工具。在國小推動英語教學主要目的是利用兒童具備優異 音韻學習能力，情意方面學習障礙較低，以提高學習效果。首先，本文是從認知心理學理論， 談兒童語言發展和英語學習過程，並以Piaget的認知發展理論為討論基礎，包括認知結構體、 年齡、成熟因素與認知能力、學習與適應過程和環境之互動等，探討這些變數與英語能力建 構之關係。其次，也根據Vygotsky的認知與社會互動觀，探討兒童語言學習之潛力和[可能 發展區]•最後，本文以心理語言學為架構，探討大腦記憶、智力與資訊處理過程、認知策 略運用等之互動，也檢視認知、學習、語言三種能力是如何在社會文化情境下交互作用，進 而影響兒童的英語能力──語音規則、句法結構理解與產生、詞義和語意能力等的建構。

　　　　　English is an international language. In the 21st century communication on the internet, exchange of information about advanced technology and international interaction among people all rely on English as a tool. The purpose of teaching English in primary schools is to utilize children's excellent ability in picking up sounds, e.g., intonation and pronunciation, and low anxiety. Thus, it can enforce effects of teaching. This study discusses the language development of children, based on the frameworks of cognitive psychology and psycholinguistics. First, it deals with the theory of Piaget including construction of knowledge, cognitive structure, age and the stage of cognitive development. Second, adaptation and interaction between learning and environment are explored. Third, the potentiality of children learning and Vygotsky's viewpoint of interaction of society and culture with learning are discussed. Fourth, working memory, information processing, intelligence, and the employment of cognitive strategies in facilitating learning are explored. Finally, the acquisition of English as first or second language in areas of phonology, phonetics, semantics and syntax are discussed.