Language development

Language Language DevelopmentDevelopment

Theories of Language Theories of Language DevelopmentDevelopment

IntroductionIntroduction

Three Domains of Language Three Domains of Language Development: Syntax, Semantics, & Development: Syntax, Semantics, & PragmaticsPragmatics

Three Theories of Language Three Theories of Language DevelopmentDevelopment

1. Learning Theory1. Learning Theory

2. Nativist Theory2. Nativist Theory

3. Interactionist Theories3. Interactionist Theories

IntroductionIntroduction

When we communicate successfully, When we communicate successfully, we do so because we are able to do we do so because we are able to do at least four different things.at least four different things.

FirstFirst, we need to be able to , we need to be able to perceive and produce the sounds perceive and produce the sounds that make up a language and convey that make up a language and convey meanings to other people.meanings to other people.

SecondSecond, we need to know what the , we need to know what the words of a language mean.words of a language mean.

ThirdThird, we need to know how to put , we need to know how to put these words together in these words together in grammatically appropriate ways such grammatically appropriate ways such that others will understand us.that others will understand us.

FourthFourth, we need to know how to , we need to know how to effectively use our language to effectively use our language to communicate with others. communicate with others.

Psychologists who study language Psychologists who study language refer to each of these processes by refer to each of these processes by different names.different names.

How we produce meaningful sounds is How we produce meaningful sounds is the study of the study of phonologyphonology..

SemanticsSemantics is the study of word meaning is the study of word meaning and how we acquire a vocabulary.and how we acquire a vocabulary.

The study of The study of grammargrammar (or syntax) (or syntax) refers to how we learn the rules of a refers to how we learn the rules of a language.language.

PragmaticsPragmatics is the study of how we use is the study of how we use language to achieve communicative language to achieve communicative goals.goals.

Theories of Language Theories of Language DevelopmentDevelopment

1. Learning Theory1. Learning Theory

Accounts of language development Accounts of language development which emphasize that language which emphasize that language acquisition can be explained using acquisition can be explained using the principles of learning such as the principles of learning such as classical conditioning, operant classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational conditioning, and observational learning.learning.

SkinnerSkinner argued that children learn argued that children learn language as parents selectively language as parents selectively rewardreward or or punishpunish only those behaviors which only those behaviors which they recognize as appropriate, they recognize as appropriate, grammatically correct utterances.grammatically correct utterances.

BanduraBandura argued that language learning argued that language learning takes place primarily by processes of takes place primarily by processes of observationobservation & & imitationimitation. Simply put, . Simply put, children overhear language being used children overhear language being used and they imitate the behavior of these and they imitate the behavior of these models.models.

Learning theory has been criticized on a Learning theory has been criticized on a number of counts.number of counts.

It is simply not possible for parents to It is simply not possible for parents to reinforce or punish all of the possible reinforce or punish all of the possible utterances a child will use.utterances a child will use.

Studies of parent-child interaction show that Studies of parent-child interaction show that parents reward grammatically incorrect parents reward grammatically incorrect utterances that are truthful.utterances that are truthful.

The language that children hear contains too The language that children hear contains too few examples for them to learn the correct few examples for them to learn the correct rules (rules (poverty of the stimuluspoverty of the stimulus argument). argument).

2. Nativist Theory2. Nativist Theory

The nativist view of language development is The nativist view of language development is traced back to the work of Noam Chomsky traced back to the work of Noam Chomsky (1957). (1957).

Chomsky argued that language is the product Chomsky argued that language is the product of an unlearned, biologically-based, internal of an unlearned, biologically-based, internal mental structure. mental structure.

Because the rules which underlie a language Because the rules which underlie a language are too complex to be acquired by children in a are too complex to be acquired by children in a few short years, some aspects of language few short years, some aspects of language must be must be innately specifiedinnately specified. .

In short, many aspects of language In short, many aspects of language are not learned but are a part of our are not learned but are a part of our biological endowment. biological endowment.

All nativist theories of language development All nativist theories of language development share certain elements.share certain elements.

First, they assume that certain grammatical First, they assume that certain grammatical concepts are common to all languages and are concepts are common to all languages and are therefore innate.therefore innate.

Children are biologically predisposed to learn a Children are biologically predisposed to learn a language.language.

Children come equipped with a set of innate Children come equipped with a set of innate hypotheseshypotheses which guide their attempts to which guide their attempts to learn the rules of a language. These help to learn the rules of a language. These help to reduce the complexity of learning a language. reduce the complexity of learning a language.

Chomsky (1968) proposed that children Chomsky (1968) proposed that children come equipped with an innate mental come equipped with an innate mental structure -- the structure -- the language acquisition language acquisition device (LAD)device (LAD) -- -- which makes learning which makes learning easier. easier.

According to Chomsky, the LAD contains a According to Chomsky, the LAD contains a set of features common to all languages, set of features common to all languages, which he termed a which he termed a universal grammaruniversal grammar..

Universal grammar refers to the entire set Universal grammar refers to the entire set of rules or linguistic parameters which of rules or linguistic parameters which specify all possible human languages.specify all possible human languages.

The learning of grammar occurs The learning of grammar occurs when the LAD operates on speech to when the LAD operates on speech to abstract out the linguistic abstract out the linguistic parameters which underlie the parameters which underlie the particular language used in the particular language used in the child’s environment.child’s environment.

Chomsky termed this process of Chomsky termed this process of determining the parameters or rules determining the parameters or rules of one’s native language of one’s native language parameter parameter settingsetting..

Nativist theory has been criticized on a number of Nativist theory has been criticized on a number of counts.counts.

Linguists have failed to specify the nature of Linguists have failed to specify the nature of universal grammar. Many linguists have universal grammar. Many linguists have speculated that this may not be possible.speculated that this may not be possible.

Grammar is not learned as rapidly as one might Grammar is not learned as rapidly as one might expect if a great deal of innate knowledge is expect if a great deal of innate knowledge is assumed. assumed.

There is little evidence neurological evidence to There is little evidence neurological evidence to support the existence of a biologically-based LAD. support the existence of a biologically-based LAD. Presumably there should be some pattern of Presumably there should be some pattern of damage that hinder our ability to learn a language.damage that hinder our ability to learn a language.

3. Interactionist Perspectives on 3. Interactionist Perspectives on Language DevelopmentLanguage Development

Interactionist theoriesInteractionist theories are are concerned with the interplay between concerned with the interplay between environmental & biological factors in environmental & biological factors in the process of acquiring language.the process of acquiring language.

Interactionists tend to view children Interactionists tend to view children

as having a strong biological as having a strong biological predisposition to acquire a language. predisposition to acquire a language.

However, in contrast to nativists, However, in contrast to nativists, interactionists stress the importance interactionists stress the importance of both the of both the social supportsocial support that that parents provide the young language parents provide the young language learner, as well as the learner, as well as the social social contextscontexts in which language-learning in which language-learning child is instructed.child is instructed.

Bruner (1983) argues parents provide Bruner (1983) argues parents provide their children a their children a language acquisition language acquisition support systemsupport system or or LASSLASS..

The LASS is a collection of strategies The LASS is a collection of strategies that parents employ to facilitate their that parents employ to facilitate their children’s acquisition of language. children’s acquisition of language.

One of these strategies is One of these strategies is scaffoldingscaffolding, , the deliberate use of language at a level the deliberate use of language at a level that is slightly beyond what children that is slightly beyond what children can comprehend. can comprehend.

With parental support, scaffolding leads the With parental support, scaffolding leads the child to acquire complex language more child to acquire complex language more quickly then they might on their own.quickly then they might on their own.

Another strategy is called Another strategy is called infant-directed infant-directed speechspeech or or ‘‘motheresemotherese’’. When using infant-. When using infant-directed speech, parents speak in a higher directed speech, parents speak in a higher pitch, stress important words, and talk more pitch, stress important words, and talk more slowly to their infants. slowly to their infants.

Very young infants show a clear preference Very young infants show a clear preference for infant-directed speech. Gets an infant’s for infant-directed speech. Gets an infant’s attention & increases the chances of their attention & increases the chances of their understanding the message. understanding the message.

Another a pair of techniques that Another a pair of techniques that adults employ is adults employ is expansionexpansion & & recastrecast. .

Expansion occurs when an adult takes Expansion occurs when an adult takes a child’s utterance and expands on its a child’s utterance and expands on its complexity.complexity.

For example, when a child might utter For example, when a child might utter something like something like Felix eatedFelix eated, the parent , the parent might expand on the complexity, might expand on the complexity, adding adding Yes, that’s right, Felix ate his Yes, that’s right, Felix ate his dinnerdinner..

Notice here that the parent has also Notice here that the parent has also corrected the child’s grammar, corrected the child’s grammar, changing changing eatedeated to it’s appropriate to it’s appropriate past tense form, past tense form, ateate. .

When parents expand, as in this When parents expand, as in this example, they often example, they often recastrecast the the child’s utterance as well, correcting child’s utterance as well, correcting the grammatical form of the the grammatical form of the utterance. utterance.

Criticisms of Interactionist PerspectivesCriticisms of Interactionist Perspectives

deVilliers & deVilliers (1992) suggest that deVilliers & deVilliers (1992) suggest that

parents rarely offer their children parents rarely offer their children direct direct feedbackfeedback on the appropriateness of their on the appropriateness of their grammar.grammar.

Linguistic & social practices vary widely Linguistic & social practices vary widely across cultures. Some cultures do not use across cultures. Some cultures do not use anything like the practices described above anything like the practices described above and yet, their children still learn language and yet, their children still learn language at a similar rate to Western children. at a similar rate to Western children.

ConclusionsConclusions

Each of the three theoretical Each of the three theoretical perspective adds something to the perspective adds something to the study of human language.study of human language.

LearningLearning theory provides some theory provides some thoughts on plausible mechanisms thoughts on plausible mechanisms that might underlie the acquisition that might underlie the acquisition of at least some facets of human of at least some facets of human language.language.

NativistNativist theory highlights the fact that theory highlights the fact that now all aspects of a language can be now all aspects of a language can be learned in the time that humans learned in the time that humans typically do and thus, that an innate typically do and thus, that an innate language mechanism must be a part of language mechanism must be a part of our equipment.our equipment.

InteractionistInteractionist theories highlight the theories highlight the important role of the social important role of the social environment and the important role environment and the important role social input has in structuring our social input has in structuring our language-learning.language-learning.