Chapter 3: Language Development in Children

Question 1

Behavioral Theory of Language Development

Answer 1

Language acquisition as the development of verbal behavior (a form of social behavior maintained by the actions of verbal community)
They emphasize language performance, or what we can see and hear, over language competence, which cannot be observed
Suggests that learning plays a major role in the acquisition of verbal behaviors
Events in the child’s environment and social interactions are important

Question 2

Nativist Theory of Language Development

Answer 2

An influential theory of syntax was proposed by Noam Chomsky in the 1950s.
States that syntactic structures are the essence of language and that language is a product of the unique human mind.
He said that there are universal rules of grammar that apply to all languages
States that children are born with a language acquisition device (LAD) that contains the universal rules of language
They believe language is not learned through environmental stimulation, reinforcement, or teaching.

Question 3

Cognitive Theory of Language Development

Answer 3

Emphasize cognition, or knowledge and mental processes, such as memory, attention, and visual and auditory perception
Focused on the child’s regulation of learning and on internal aspects of behavior
Language acquisition is made possible by cognition and general intellectual processes
Language is only one expression of a more general set of cognitive activities, and proper development of the cognitive system is a necessary precursor of linguistic expression

Question 4

Information-Processing Theory

Answer 4

Interested in how language is learned– that is what types of cognitive functioning are necessary for language learning
Strong emphasis of this theory is auditory processing, composed of the components of auditory discrimination, attention, memory, rate, and sequencing
Language learning relies on information-processing mechanisms
There are two broad categories of information processing related to children’s language development: phonological processing and temporal auditory processing

Question 5

Social Interaction Theory

Answer 5

Emphasizes language function over language structure
Believe language develops as a function of social interaction between children and their environments (including significant others in that environment)
Motivation is considered to be key in using language