Language Development
Summarize and comment on what you have learned about the topic you selected.
There are three theories of language development that try to explain how a child learns a language and how issues can appear, slowing or inhibiting that development. The first is the Behaviorist Perspective. This theory states that children develop their language skills through operant conditioning. As they attempt to speak and make sounds that resemble words, they are rewarded with praise. Some behaviourists believe that children imitate words and are rewarded for doing so, thus leading to their language development.
There is also the Nativist Perspective that states that children have a specific system imbedded in them that assists them in developing language skills. They consider this system a Language Acquisition Device (LAD) that helps them understand grammar and rules surrounding various languages. Noam Chomsky was a linguist supporting the nativist perspective and he believed that a child’s LAD allowed them to speak using the universal rules of language, and many do so within the same period of their early development. Nativists also believe there is a period of development when a child is acquiring the majority of their language skills, although a specific time frame has not been pin pointed. While the Nativist theory is interesting and thought provoking, no one as of yet has been able to indentify the grammar system or the specific optimum language development time period.
Finally, there is the Interactionalist Perspective which stresses that a child’s language development is directly influenced by their intellectual capacity and the environmental factors around them. While one interactionalist theory focuses on the child’s ability to process information, the other focuses more on interaction with those in their social circle, or family. Regardless of the theory, a child will often develop at their own pace and being outside of the norm, is the norm. That
There are three theories of language development that try to explain how a child learns a language and how issues can appear, slowing or inhibiting that development. The first is the Behaviorist Perspective. This theory states that children develop their language skills through operant conditioning. As they attempt to speak and make sounds that resemble words, they are rewarded with praise. Some behaviourists believe that children imitate words and are rewarded for doing so, thus leading to their language development.
There is also the Nativist Perspective that states that children have a specific system imbedded in them that assists them in developing language skills. They consider this system a Language Acquisition Device (LAD) that helps them understand grammar and rules surrounding various languages. Noam Chomsky was a linguist supporting the nativist perspective and he believed that a child’s LAD allowed them to speak using the universal rules of language, and many do so within the same period of their early development. Nativists also believe there is a period of development when a child is acquiring the majority of their language skills, although a specific time frame has not been pin pointed. While the Nativist theory is interesting and thought provoking, no one as of yet has been able to indentify the grammar system or the specific optimum language development time period.
Finally, there is the Interactionalist Perspective which stresses that a child’s language development is directly influenced by their intellectual capacity and the environmental factors around them. While one interactionalist theory focuses on the child’s ability to process information, the other focuses more on interaction with those in their social circle, or family. Regardless of the theory, a child will often develop at their own pace and being outside of the norm, is the norm. That
Cited: Catherine S. Tamis-Lemonda, E. T. (2008). Parents’ Role in Fostering Young Children’s Learning and Language Development. New York University, USA. Cohen, N. J. (2005). The Impact of Language Development on the Psychosocial and Emotional Development of Young Children . Hincks-Dellcrest Centre, CANADA.