Theorists

Child Language Acquisition

Noam Chomsky (Innateness Theory)

Chomsky believes that language acquisition is an innate structure, or function within the brain. The theory states that there is a learning age, between the ages of 3 and 10 children are most likely to learn a language. Another factor that Chomsky uses to support his theory is that children do not need a trigger to learn a language; a child will try to learn language on their own e.g. cooing or babbling. A caregiver may encourage the use of language faster, but the child will often try to do it themselves.

B.F Skinner (Imitation and Behaviourist Theory)

Skinner came up with 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 die out 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 (Social Interactionists Theory)

Bruner believed that a child’s social environment and interaction paid 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 witness in social interactions and used when they perform tasks. Bruner considered language the most important tool in a child’s cognitive development. 

Jean Piaget (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.