#speechtherapytamil #speechtherapyathome #aba #autism #childdevelopment #languagedevelopment #onlinespeechtherapy #parenting #teletherapy #speechdelayjourney

Online appointments- +91 7402671368

There are many schools of thought as to how language is acquired. Here, we explore a brief summary of four main theories that have been influential in supporting our understanding of the acquisition of language.



Behaviourist – B.F. Skinner
Behaviourism explores the idea that behaviour may be altered and shaped by other people's actions and reactions. This was one of the most prominent theories in the twentieth century, and it remains a popular school of thought today.[1] Psychologist Burrhus Frederic Skinner thought that we are all born the same and that we are shaped by our surroundings.[1] He theorised that behaviour that is rewarded will be repeated, while behaviour that is not rewarded will not be repeated. For instance, Skinner believed that if a child used a correct word for, say, a drink, the child would be rewarded with praise or by receiving a drink.



Innateness – N. Chomsky
Innateness focuses on the thought that the ability to learn is within you. Linguist and cognitive scientist Noam Chomsky believed that as people are born into different social environments, babies must be born with the natural ability to learn and acquire language.[3] He concluded we all have a Language Acquisition Device in our brains that grows and develops, however there is a critical period to this device and it starts to decline around 12 years of age.[4]



Cognitive – J. Piaget
Psychologist Jean Piaget was from the school of cognitive constructivism. Piaget believed that language acquisition is part of learning as a whole and that children need different support at different ages. He clearly defines ages and stages of cognitive development and language skills.[4]. Piaget conducted his experiments with children, observing them in active play.



Interaction - J.S. Bruner
Psychologist Jerome Seymour Bruner was instrumental in the thought that each child’s knowledge of the world is based on their experience, therefore language is learned from the experiences given by their home and family. Bruner believed that language is learned through interactions such as conversations, questions, experiences, and games for babies and young children.


What do more recent studies tell us about the acquisition of child language?
This is still an ongoing debate, and new ideas on how children acquire language are emerging. More recent research has involved the study of the human brain and its function in language acquisition. We are continuously discovering more about our brains and how they play such an important part in human development. Our brains are always developing, and this development is especially significant in our early years. When a baby is born, their brain begins to learn about attachment, communication, emotions, and reasoning, as well as a variety of other skills related to growth and development.[5] Connections are constantly being made in their brains and these connections are formed by a baby’s experiences of interactions with the people closest to them.

свернуть