Child Language Acquisition Theorists (Paper 1) Flashcards
Who wrote about a child’s language being innate?
Chomsky with Nativism
Who wrote about language being learned through imitation, reward and punishment?
Skinner and behaviorism
Who wrote about cognition theory?
Piaget
Who wrote about how a child’s language is reliant on their caregivers?
Jerome Bruner with input theory
What are some key features of Nativism?
We are all born with the Language Acquisition Device (LAD) which refers to our brain’s “hard wiring” to learn Language
Goes against Skinner’s “blank slate theory”
What are some key features of Behaviourism?
We imitate our parents and get rewarded for correct language use and punished for incorrect use
Positive reinforcement theory
What are the key features of Cognition theory?
3 main areas of language Acquisition
M.K.O (more knowledgeable other)
ZPD (Zone of proximal development)
What are the 3 main stages of a child’s language Acquisition according to cognition theory?
Object permanence
Classification
Seration
What is object permanence according to cognition theory?
When a child begins to recognise that objects have an existence outside of their sight, before this they believe that if an object falls out of their sight it ceases to exist
Typically at ages 1 to 18 months
What is classification according to cognition theory?
The child’s ability to classify objects and actions. They can divide into linguistic categories (nouns, verbs etc based on their semantic, morphological and syntactic)
What is seration according to cognition theory?
A child’s ability compare objects in order of increasing or decreasing size to advance from long and short. Gaining an awareness of seration and using comparative terms such as longer and shorter and superlative terms (longest , shortest)
What are the key features of input theory?
Talks about the role of interaction in language, particularly the interaction between children and parents
Suggests that a child’s language acquisition depends on the contribution made by parents and significant others at critical periods of a child’s language acquisition
Use of child directed speech
What are some examples of child directed speech?
Monosyllabic lexis
Slower speaking
More pauses
More restricted lexis
What is the LASS?
Language Acquisition support system
Refers to the support for learning provided by parents and caretakers
What occurs after a child reaches object permanence according to cognition theory?
A child’s vocabulary massively expands
Who built on Chompskys ideas ?
Lenenburg
What did Lenneberg say about a child’s language being inate?
He argued that children can only learn if they have activated the LAD during the critical period (infancy to early puberty)
Who wrote about constructivist theory?
Vygotsky
What is a M.K.O?
A more knowledgeable other, a person who has a better understanding of language then the child
What does Vygotsky write about the Z.P.D?
The Zone of Proximal Development
The space between what a learner can do without assistance and what a learner can do with adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers.
(Cognition) What did Saxton (1997) write about regarding how adults help children learn the correct way to speak?
Adult’s use corrective recasts
For example - Child : ceam
Mum : no it’s cream
Child : oh cream
What did Cazden add to Saxtons research? (ZPD)
He claimed that corrective recasts only work if the child is in the right Z.P.D
Who wrote about cognition theory?
Piaget
How is Nativism (Chomsky) proven by overgeneralisations?
As overgeneralsations such as the addition of the suffix ‘ed’ to display past tense on irregular verbs such as ‘cutted’ from children prove an innate drive as they would have never heard incorrect use so couldn’t copy it
