Read about the theories (perspective) of language acquisition.
Draft a summary of the theories using the
matrix below. Work with your groupmates. Deadline of submission is on March 18, 2024.
You may use books, eBooks, and internet sources for your reference.
Theory/Perspectives Proponent/s Assumptions/Central Ideas Limitations/Criticism
Behaviorist 1. John B Watson •Behavior is the result of • It oversimplifies human
environmental factors. Watson behavior. Behaviorism reduces
believe that all behavior, complex human behavior to
including complex human simple-stimulus response
behavior, is the result of associations, ignoring the
environmental factors such as complex cognitive processed
reinforcement, punishment that underlie behavior.
and conditioning.
• It ignores the role of genetics
• Mind and consciousness is and biology in shaping
not relevant to psychology. He behavior. While behaviorist
argued that behaviorism acknowledge the importance
should focus only on of the environment in shaping
observable behavior and avoid the behavior, they largely
speculation about mental ignore the role of biology in
processes. determining behavior.
• Animal behavior can be used • It fails to account for the
to understand human complexity of human
behavior; Watson believed that motivation. While behaviorism
animal behavior could provide asserts that behavior is the
insights into human behavior, result of reinforcement and
as both are shaped by the punishment, it fails to
same environmental factors. acknowledge the complex
motivation that drive human
behavior.
• Some critics argue that
behaviorism overly
deterministic, failing to
acknowledge the role of free
will in human behavior.
•The critical period of
language acquisition is in
•Radical Behaviourism the age of 7. If a child has
not developed language by
Internal processes, like this point, they will never
observable behavior, can be be able to fully grasp it.
controlled by environmental
variables and thus can be • The complicated nature of
2. Burrhus
analyzed scientifically. The idea language. it has also been
Frederick Skinner
of "free will" is entirely argued that language and
determined by situational its development are simply
factors.
too complicated to be
•"Skinner's Imitation Theory" taught sufficiently through
proposes that language reinforcement alone.
develops as a result of children Children learn grammatical
trying to imitate their rules and patterns
caregivers or those around seemingly independently of
them. The theory assumes that positive or negative
children have no innate ability
reinforcement, as
to learn the language and rely
evidenced in the tendency
on operant conditioning to
form and improve their
among children to over- or
understanding and use of it. under-apply linguistic rules.
The behavioural theory
believes that children are born
'tabula rasa' - as a 'blank slate'.
Nativist
Cognitive Jean Piaget • Piaget emphasized the role of • He overestimated the ability
active exploration and of adolescents and
interaction with the underestimated the capacity
environment in shaping of infants
cognitive development,
highlighting the importance • Piaget neglected the
of assimilation and influence of cultural and social
accommodation in constructing interaction factors on
mental schemas. children's cognition and
thinking ability
• Children do not think like
adults and so before they can • His theory had some ethical
begin to develop language they and bias problems as he
must first actively construct studied his own children.
their own understanding of the
world through their
interactions with the
environment. A child has to
understand a concept before
they can acquire the particular
language which expresses that
concept.
• Cognitive development
results from the interplay
between innate capabilities
(nature) and environmental
influences (nurture).
• Children progress through
four distinct stages, each
representing varying cognitive
abilities and world
comprehension; 1.)
Sensorimotor stage (birth to 2
years) Infants knows the world
through their movements and
sensations.
2.) Preoperational stage (2 to 7
years) Children begin to think
symbolically and learn to use
words and pictures to
represent objects.
3.) Concrete operational stage
(7 to 11 years)–Children begin
to think logically about
concrete events.
4.) Formal operational stage
(11 years and beyond)–The
adolescent or young adult
begins to think abstractly and
reason about hypothetical
problems.
Interaction 1.) George The Interactionist approach Children in many cultures
claims that if our language progress through the same
Herbert Mead ability develops out of a desire stages of language acquisition
to communicate, then regardless of the behaviors of
2.) Lev Vygotsky language is dependent upon their caregivers.This means
whom we want to that the data may not be as
3.) Max Weber
communicate with. This means applicable to parent-child
4.) Herbert the environment you grow up interactions in other classes or
Blumer in will heavily affect how well cultures who may speak to
and how quickly you learn to their children differently but
talk. still acquire fluent speech.
Reference :
https://philonotes.com/2023/03/watsons-theory-of-behaviorism-key-concepts
https://www.firstdiscoverers.co.uk/child-development-theories-john-watson/#:~:text=Watson's
%20'manifesto'%20stated%20a%20number,and%20situations%20within%20the%20environment.
https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/english/language-acquisition/behavioral-theory/
www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html
https://typeset.io/questions/what-are-the-limitations-of-piaget-s-theory-of-cognitive-4y207yc06o
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/
explanations/english/language-acquisition/interactionist-theory/%23:~:text%3DLimitations%2520of%2520Interactionist
%2520Theory,-There%2520are%2520some%26text%3DThis%2520means%2520that%2520the%2520data,but%2520still
%2520acquire%2520fluent
%2520speech.&ved=2ahUKEwjho8TRtviEAxU1bfUHHbySCN8QFnoECBQQBQ&usg=AOvVaw1jSdf0C-VsoN2jUuR5D2jd
