LING6521 Child Language Acquisition

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LING6521 Child Language Acquisition

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LING6521 Child Language Acquisition

1 Download5 Pages / 1,159 Words

Course Code: LING6521
University: Australian National University

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Country: Australia

Question:

Discuss at least three different theories that account for first language acquisition in children. Explain which theory provides a more viable account of child language acquisition and why.

Answer: 

Language acquisition refers to the capacity of understanding language and it helps an individual in using words that helps them in communication. Language acquisition can be said to be a quintessential human trait. The first language or the native language refers to the language to which a person is exposed since his birth. First language of the child forms a part of social along with cultural identity of the child. It helps in bringing about reflection and it helps people in learning the social patterns in relation to speaking. This essay discusses three theories pertaining to first language acquisition in the children. The three theories that the essay discusses are cognitive theory, innateness of certain linguistic features and imitation along with positive reinforcement.
John Piaget was the name of Swiss psychologist who talked about the cognitive development of the children. It included the concept of language development of the children. The children cannot think like the adults and it is important that the children construct the understanding of the world before beginning to develop the concept of language. The interactions that the child has with the environment can help him in the aspect of first language acquisition. Understanding a concept is important for the child before he develops the faculty of language acquisition. The young children cannot voice the concepts that they are unaware about and learning about the environment can help the children in mapping language into the experience (Researchers.mq.edu.au., 2018). Language can be said to be a human mental activity and there are cognitivists who believe in the notion that language emerges in context of general cognitive abilities. Language can emerge with the help of memory, attention along with problem solving that forms a part of broader intellectual development. The acquisition of the first language takes place in certain stages and the children have to go through these stages in an order that is fixed (Aitchison, 2011). The children master the morphemes of the first language and the simple ideas are expressed by the children earlier than the ones that are more complex.
The theory of innateness of certain linguistic features is related to the concept of first language acquisition in the children. Noam Chomsky’s writings focuses on the fact that children have the innate capacity in relation to learning the human language. This theory suggests that children discover grammar of their native language on the basis of inborn grammar. There are aspects related to language structure that is pre-ordained by cognitive structure in relation to the human mind (Ambridge et al., 2015) There are certain basic universal feature in relation to language structure and it is held that pre-programming of the children can help them in the aspect of first language acquisition. Language can be said to be complex as it contains distinctions regarding which the speaker is not aware about. The children can master native language within 5 years irrespective of their intellectual ability. The language acquisition is not dependent on the level of the general intelligence because a retarded child also learns the native language without any kind of special training. It can be said that there are certain innate features in the mind that can help the children in relation to first language acquisition by the child who has been exposed to the aspect of speech. The language acquisition device (LAD) refers to syntactic universal along with structural properties that are found universally in the languages (Prieto & Esteve-Gibert, 2018) Syntactic structures can be said to be inborn that helps the children in learning the words pertaining to first language. It can be said that children can learn first language with the help of innate syntactic pattern.
The third theory of Imitation and Positive reinforcement of Skinner states that children learn with the help of imitation and by repeating the things that they hear. Positive reinforcement plays a significant role in the aspect of first language acquisition in the children. Children imitate the adults and the repetition of the new words can help them in learning the first language. The Imitation theory has stressed on the view that the child can learn the first language with the help of operant conditioning (Houwen et al., 2016).  This theory stresses on the fact that children learn speaking by imitating the sounds that they hear around them. The responses of the children are strengthened by hearing the repetition and the other reaction that the adults provide (Bishop, 2014)
According to me, the theory of imitation of Skinner provides a viable account in relation to first language acquisition in the children. This theory stresses on the influence that social environment can play in helping the children learn the first language (Foster-Cohen, 2014). I think that this theory is pertinent in relation to first language acquisition because it talks about the influence that nurture plays in language development in children. In the society, we often hear the children repeating the sayings of the parents and this is how the children start understanding the meaning of words (Savignon, 2018). The constant hearing of the same words at home helps the children in learning the words and the meaning associated with it.
First language is an integral part of social identity of the children. The cognitivists believe in the fact that one can learn language owing to general cognitive abilities. One can learn language with the aid of memory and problem solving can help an individual in relation to intellectual development. Language acquisition does not depend on general intelligence as a child who is retarded can learn native language irrespective of any special training. Innate features are present in the children that helps them in learning the first language. The theory of Imitation of Skinner brings out the fact that children can learn by the repetition of the words that they hear around them. Positive reinforcement plays a dominant role in the aspect of language acquisition in the children. Social environment can play an effective role in helping the children learn about first language.
References:
Aitchison, J. (2011). The articulate mammal: An introduction to psycholinguistics. Routledge.
Ambridge, B., Kidd, E., Rowland, C. F., & Theakston, A. L. (2015). The ubiquity of frequency effects in first language acquisition. Journal of child language, 42(2), 239-273.
Bishop, D. V. (2014). Uncommon Understanding (Classic Edition): Development and disorders of language comprehension in children. Psychology Press.
Foster-Cohen, S. H. (2014). An introduction to child language development. Routledge.
Houwen, S., Visser, L., van der Putten, A., & Vlaskamp, C. (2016). The interrelationships between motor, cognitive, and language development in children with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. Research in developmental disabilities, 53, 19-31.
Prieto, P., & Esteve-Gibert, N. (Eds.). (2018). The Development of Prosody in First Language Acquisition (Vol. 23). John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Researchers.mq.edu.au. (2018). An introduction to language. Retrieved from https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/an-introduction-to-language
Savignon, S. J. (2018). Communicative competence. The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching, 1-7.

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