Theorists and their theories.

Child Language Acquisition

Noam Chomsky’s Theory of Innateness.

There has been a battle between whether language acquisition is innate or learned. Whilst Chomsky argues that language acquisition is innate, there are known structures of the brain that control the production of speech. It was not clear to how humans acquire language abilities; this is where Noam Chomsky made his contribution. Chomsky has used many factors to support his theory of language acquisition first is that there is an optimal or ‘the best’ learning ages. Between the ages of 3-10 a child is most likely to learn a language and grasp fluency. After this age it is hard and even considered impossible for a child to grasp the language completely. The second factor is that the child does not need a trigger to begin language acquisition; the caregiver does not need to coax the child in order for them to speak. Several things might help the child develop faster for example being read to. Even if these efforts are not made the child will still eventually learn to speak. This is called L.A.D; Language Acquisition Device.

B.F Skinner’s Imitation and Behaviourist Theory

Skinner brought forward the operant conditioning theory and the use of reinforcement when learning. Positive reinforcement is the strengthening of the correct S-R bond, causing the behaviour to be repeated when it is enforced and negative reinforcement weakens the incorrect S-R bond, causing the behaviour to decrease when it is not reinforced. The operant conditioning theory also included the element of punishment, which was the response from the environment that decreases the likelihood of behaviour to be repeated and punishment weakens behaviour. Skinner also stated that children learn through nurture, they imitate what they hear around them and this is how they learn language.

Jerome Bruner’s Social Integrationist’s Theory

Bruner believed that a child’s social environment and interaction played a huge part in how they learn language. Bruner summarised that the world had three modes, they were:

      Enactive (actions)

      Iconic (pictures

      Symbolic (words and numbers) 

Bruner believed that because children will see these modes because it is what they see in social interactions and used when they perform tasks. Bruner considered language the most important tool in a child’s cognitive development. 

Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory

Piaget believed that all children are born with a mental structure that they inherit which all their knowledge is developed on and based on. Piaget believed that cognitive development was the organisation of mental processes of biological maturation and environmental experience.