3. Theories on Language Acquisition
Behaviorist Theory (Skinner)
Innatist Theory (Chomsky)
Cognitive Development Theory (Piaget,
Vygotsky)
Social Interactionist Theory (Elizabeth Bates,
Brian MacWhinney, Jerome Bruner, Catherine
Snow)
4. B.F. Skinner
Behaviorism (Behaviorist
Theory)
Mind is seen as a blank
slate or tabula rasa
Learning is via imitation
and habit formation
Corrections and repetitions
are vital
Imitation and practice are
primary processes in
language development
5. Noam Chomsky
• Innatist Theory
• The Language Acquisition
Device (LAD)
• Children have an innate
knowledge of the basic
grammatical structure that is
the basis to all languages
• The Universal Grammar
(UG)
• The Critical Period –
essential for first language
acquisition
6. Piaget
Cognitive development:
assimilation & accommodation
= adaptation
Intellectual development, on
the other hand, is directly
connected to the role of
language
However, he considered
language secondary to
cognition (understanding)
Language is a product of
intelligence
7. Vygostky
Cognitive development within a
social context
Language plays an essential
role for children‟s development
ZPD (Zone of Proximal
Development): children as
social beings who develop with
help from more capable peers
9. Social Interactionist Theory
• Innate ability and exposure alone do not explain
language acquisition
• Interaction between caregivers and child is mandatory
to language acquisition
• Language that is modified to suit the capability of the
learner is a crucial element to language acquisition
10. Caregiver speech
Motherese, child-directed
speech, care-giver speech,
baby-talk
Frequent use of questions
Exaggerated intonation
Extra loudness
Slower tempo and longer
pauses
“baby talk” – is it necessary?
11. The Productivity of Language
With a limited set of grammar rules and a finite set
of terms, it is possible to create an infinite number
of utterances
According to Chomsky, only an innate capacity
could explain how fast a child acquires language
This only applies if there is no impairment, and if
the circumstances are adequate
12. Acquisition
The identification and application of regularities
Linguistic input being differentiated by the child:
Child can tell the difference between sounds like
[ba] and [pa]
Output: child can create sounds like [ba] and [pa]
14. More Information
B.F. Skinner: http://www.simplypsychology.org/operant-
conditioning.html
Noam Chomsky:
http://www.simplypsychology.org/language.html
Jean Piaget:
http://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html
Lev Vygotsky:
http://www.simplypsychology.org/vygotsky.html
15. What about your language acquisition?
Were you an early „conversationalist‟ or a so
called „chatter box‟?
Do you believe your upbringing was mainly
responsible for your current approach to
language, or do you credit personality as the
main factor in how you relate to language and
express yourself?
Is language always the most powerful way to
get your thoughts across, or do you think
language is „overrated‟ and too much pressure
is placed on being able to express ourselves
orally?
As a future teacher, how do you rate the
importance of your ability to communicate
your ideas well?