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Nativist Theory Of Language Acquisition

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The questionable and ambiguous nature surrounding the notion that children play an active role in acquiring language has been debated by many theorists of different perspectives. These three perspectives include the learning view, the nativist view and the interactionist view. In this essay I will discuss each perspective with reference to psychological theories and research that relates to each view. The learning perspective of language acquisition suggests that children acquire language through imitation and reinforcement (Skinner, 1957). The ideology behind this view claims that children develop language by repeating utterances that have been praised by their parent, therefore gaining a larger vocabulary and understanding of phrases over …show more content…

Nativism, unlike the learning perspective, relates to biological factors of development rather than environmental ones. The theory of language development put forward by nativists is that humans as a species are biologically programmed with the ability to acquire language. Noam Chomsky argued that the acuiration of language, no matter how simple or elaborate, is too complex to be taught by environmental factors such as parents as previously proposed by Skinner. Chomsky believed that all children are born with a language acquisition device (LAD). He believes that all languages contain a universal grammar. This innate system equips all children with a knowledge of this universal grammar. This predisposed knowledge allows them to acquire vocabulary and construct utterances of the language that they are hearing into sentences, so they hold the ability to understand the meaning of the language that they are hearing. From a nativist perspective, language acquisition is a natural human development and is automatic to all humans if they are provided and surrounded with sufficient linguistic information for them to …show more content…

This is a theory that suggests humans acquire language substantially easier during a critical period of biological development, which is from infancy to puberty. (Hoff,2005). One case study carried out focused on a girl named Genie. Genie was locked in isolation in her home and was not discovered by authorities until she was at the age of 14. Throughout her life of confinement, Genie was not exposed to a substantial amount of language. She was also beaten by her abusive father if she attempted to make a noise (Curtiss, 1977). Genie underwent extensive training and tutoring to be taught language. While Genie’s vocabulary expanded greatly, and she adopted the ability to form fluid and plausible sentences, she did not manage to master the comprehension of syntax and the grammatical rules of language. Children however naturally grasp the context of syntax without formal teachings of it. This study therefore supports the argument that children acquire language easier during the initial stages of their life. This suggestion works in accordance to the evidence that suggests that the brain is predisposed to have certain areas specifically designed for language processing and development. For example, Gazzaniga (1986) stated that language processing occurs in the left hemisphere of the

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Likewise, if children today do not learn the act of deeply reading, their capacity to deeply think may be stunted. However, feral children such as Genie were also victims of abuse and solitary confinement for most of their early years, so their inability to learn language may be also the result of damage caused by abuse. According to Jay Shurley, a specialist in social isolation, says that “solitary confinement is, diabolically, the most severe punishment” (Genie). With a lack of socialization, Genie never learned how to communicate, and as a result, was hampered in this way for the rest of her life. So if a child was never exposed to deep reading, is it possible that they will not be as proficient in these skills, since they were not acquired during the years of major brain

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A noteworthy topic discussed by author Michael Schwalbe in Chapter Five of his book The Sociologically Examined Life: Pieces of the Conversation is the importance of language acquisition in the early stages of one’s life and its sociological effects on society. Schwalbe leaves out the specific details of when exactly children/infants start to develop their language skills, however, it is important to note that most start to speak (i.e., voice their first word and/or phrase) at around the age of twelve months, with cooing and babbling happening in earlier months. These developments are all provided the children have been given the proper environment that allows these advancements to take place. If the child is isolated, however, as Schwalbe

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What evidence from the Genie Wiley case supports both the nurture and the nature points of view regarding language development? (3 points) Genie Wiley’s case helps support both sides of the nurture vs nature debate. The fact that she learned to talk after more than 10 years of confinement helps support the nature side because proves that she has the ability to communicate in her genes.

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Children learn new things through everyday life experience. Especially, young children who attend to the program of day-care or preschool can develop speaking skills while they play and interact with peers and teachers, such as free play time, teacher-directed activities, and having snack and lunch together. According to Janice J. Beaty (2014), “spoken language is one of the important skills” (p. 197) and a child’s language acquisition begins at birth and progress through everyday life: young children go through the four stages, Preproduction (just listen) Transition to Production (response with single-word answers), Early Production (speak short phrases, do chat, sing, and have a simple conversation), Expansion of Production (speak expanded

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Communication and language development would not however be an automatic feature as part of a childâ€TMs development and is almost entirely dependent on the process of learning. In the early years the child would learn from parents and older siblings, using simple words and hand gestures. As the child matures they would gain more of an understanding of language through teachers and more commonly, socially through friends. They would gain more skills in learning how to communicate and understand

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When Lucy’s teacher gave her a new book, Sam attempted to read it to her as a bedtime story. “Your teacher gave you a really hard book this time. It’s really hard” (Nelson, 2001). When Lucy saw her father becoming upset, she told him she no longer liked that book and just wanted to read “Green Eggs and Ham”, which made Sam very happy. Sam’s language is that of a child’s.

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What is the evidence that early childhood is a sensitive time for learning language? Social interaction, myelination, brain maturation, and scaffolding are evidence that early childhood is a sensitive time for learning language. In addition, children in early childhood are considered “language sponges” because they absorb every bit of language they hear or read. How does fast-mapping aid the language explosion?

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While Genies’ story is tragic, her case greatly improved scientific understanding of the human brain as it relates to basic childhood development and the need for human interaction. It also helped to show that gaining skills during the critical periods is indeed necessary to at least learn language. Furthermore, the research helped scientists understand brain formation and how neglect affects that process. Finally, the end of Genies’ story showed that even in the face of extreme neglect it is possible to achieve some level of

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Language skills Language skill is one of the milestone achievements of the first two years of life. Children are born with innate schema of communication, such as body language or facial expression to communicate with parents or caregiver. The acquisition of language starts from phonology, which is an important skill for a child to master where he or she is to absorb the sound and identify the sounds form one language to another. This was nurtured both at home and in school where Alexander has to absorb sounds from native (Cantonese) and foreign languages (English).

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The reason why Genie's case was so fascinating to psychologists and linguists was that it presented a unique opportunity. They were able to study a hotly contested debate about language development and human growth. Nativists believe that the capacity for language is something that is done naturally. Empiricists think that it is the environment that someone is in plays a key role in human development.

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Oral language is an important and necessary cognitive developmental step in literacy. People, children as well as adults, adults use oral language on a daily basis. People use oral language as their primary form of communication. Children learn oral language before they learn written language. According to our text book, “Teaching Children to Read: The Teacher Makes the Difference” by Reutzel and Cooter there are four oral language developmental theories.

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This is referred to the interactionist theory. “Similar to the behaviorist theory, the interactionist theory believes that nurture is crucial in the process of language development. Though, the interactionist perspective differs from the behaviorist

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Research Questions From the literature review, it was established that there were several factors affecting language learning and acquisition. More specifically, it was revealed that factors such as exposure at an early age, motivation, attitudes, incentives and educational system can influence language acquisition. However, most of the research were conducted in the west and were focused on students as subjects to the study and foreigners working in the country where they need to learn the language to lengthen their range of employment opportunity.

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Crain and Lillo-Martin state that “language is not a concrete set of things out in the world that we can point out to or measure rather; it is something inside our brains and minds”. The LAD in a child’s mind will eventually help the child to make sense of the language that develops through social interactions and experience. The LAD within the child’s brain makes it easy for them to understand the language. This claim is in coherence with Bruner (1957) who claims that, “Children are not little grammarians, motivated to decode the syntax of the language around them through the operation of their LAD, but social beings who acquire language in the service of their needs to communicate with others”. I second this statement because I believe that the acquisition of language is innate but the development of the language is parallel with what the child’ experiences and social interaction with their family, school, society.

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The guardian or the parents will reinforce the students and give them punishment so the children or the students will develop themselves. Interactionist Theory . Interactionists argue that language development is both biological and social. Interactionists argue that language learning is influenced by the desire of children to communicate with others. The Interactionists argue that "children are born with a powerful brain that matures slowly and predisposes them to acquire new understandings that they are motivated to share with others" ( Bates,1993;Tomasello,1995, as cited in shaffer,et al.,2002,p.362).

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