FLA Theorists Flashcards
Who is the main proponent of Behaviourist Theory?
Skinner
What is the key idea behind Behaviourist Theory
Language learning is a result of imitation, reinforcement and conditioning. Children learn by mimicking the speech they hear and receiving positive reinforcement for correct usage.
What is the role of positive reinforcement in Behaviourist Theory?
Positive reinforcement encourages the repetition of correct language by rewarding the child, which strengthens language learning.
How can examples from a child’s speech demonstrate Behaviourist Theory in action?
Look for main clauses, noun phrases, or adjectival phrases where a caregiver offers positive reinforcement.
What are the main criticisms of Behaviourist Theory
It’s criticized for underestimating the complexity of language learning and the role of innate cognitive processes.
How can Behaviourist Theory support ideas from Vygotsky, Bruner and Tomasello?
Their concepts such as ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development) and the more knowledgeable others, scaffolds and usage-based ideas all rely on positive reinforcement as part of learning.
Who is the main proponent of Nativist Theory?
Noam Chomsky
What is the key idea behind Nativist Theory?
Children are born with an innate ability to learn language, known as the Language Acquisition Device (LAD), and all humans have a universal grammar underlying all languages.
What is the Language Acquisition Device (LAD)?
A hypothetical mechanism in the brain proposed by Chomsky that enables children to learn language and to understand its structure straight away.
What are examples that demonstrate Nativist Theory in action?
Overextensions of grammatical rules or original utterances like ‘sheeps’ which children have likely not heard from caregivers but derived from their internalized rules.
Who conducted the Wug Test and how does it support Nativist Theory?
Jean Berko.
The test shows children can apply morphological rules to novel words, demonstrating an innate understanding of linguistic rules.
What are the criticisms of Nativist Theory?
Critics argue it overlooks the role of social interaction and environment factors in language learning and that it does not fully address syntax, semantics or pragmatics.
How can the Wug Test challenges Behaviourist Theory?
By demonstrating that children apply internalized grammatical rules to novel words, it suggest language acquisition is not solely based on imitation or reinforcement.
What are limitations of the Wug Test?
The focus on morphological rules may not reflect the full complexity of language acquisition, and the use of invented words might lack the contextual and semantic richness of real language.
What should you look for in data to support Chomsky or Berko’s ideas?
Application of grammatical rules to novel words (pluralisation or verb conjunction)
- Instances where a child generalizes rules from familiar to unfamiliar words
- Evidence of implicit linguistic knowledge without explicit teaching
- Consistency in rule application across different contexts.
Who is the main proponent of Social Interactionist Theory?
Lev Vygotsky
What is the key idea behind Vygotsky’s Social Interactionist Theory?
Language development is driven by social interaction and communication with others.
Children learn language through meaningful interactions and often use words before fully understanding the underlying concept, relying on More Knowledgeable Others, to guide them through ZPD.
What is the Zone of Proximal Development?
It is the range of tasks that a child can perform with guidance and support from a More Knowledgeable Other but cannot yet accomplish independently
What are criticisms of Vygotsky’s theory?
Critics argue it may overemphasize the role of social interaction at the exapanse of innate cognitive abilities, as highlighted by theorists like Chomsky and Piaget.
What examples might support Vygotsky’s theory?
Instances Instances where caregivers provide structured support during a task, Q&A discourse structures, or the use of Child Directed Speech (CDS) to guide and encourage language use during activities.
Who is the main proponent of Social Interactionist Theory?
Lev Vygotsky
What is the key idea behind Vygotsky’s Social Interactionist Theory?
Language development is driven by social interaction and communication with others. Children learn language through meaningful interactions and often use words before fully understanding the underlying concepts, relying on More Knowledgeable Others (MKOs) to guide them through the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD).
What are criticisms of Vygotsky’s theory?
Critics argue it may overemphasize the role of social interaction at the expense of innate cognitive abilities, as highlighted by theorists like Chomsky and Piaget.
What examples might support Vygotsky’s theory?
Instances where caregivers provide structured support during a task, Q&A discourse structures, or the use of Child Directed Speech (CDS) to guide and encourage language use during activities.
Who is associated with language functions in Social Interactionist Theory?
Michael Halliday
What is Halliday’s contribution to Social Interactionist Theory?
He proposed that children use language to interact with their environment and fulfil various functions, emphasizing the role of language in social contexts.
What criticisms are associated with Halliday’s theory?
The overlap of functions can make it hard to definitively categorize elements of child speech, and the subjective attribution of functions may lack empirical support. Additionally, it might overemphasize social interaction while neglecting cognitive complexities.
What should you look for to apply Halliday’s ideas?
Observe what the child says and connect it to the purpose they’re trying to achieve—for example, identifying specific functions of their speech based on their interactions with the environment.
Who is the main proponent of Cognitive Theory?
Jean Piaget
What is the key idea behind Cognitive Theory?
Language acquisition is part of overall cognitive development. Children learn language as they develop cognitive abilities and understand the world, needing conceptual knowledge before using certain linguistic structures.
What is the Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to 2 years) according to Piaget?
It is the stage where infants learn about the world through senses and actions, and develop object permanence, realizing objects continue to exist even when they can’t be seen.
What is the Preoperational Stage (2 to 7 years)?
In this stage, children begin using language and thinking symbolically, but their thinking is still intuitive and egocentric. They struggle with understanding others’ perspectives.
How does Piaget’s theory contrast with Vygotsky’s?
Piaget argues that conceptual understanding precedes language, while Vygotsky suggests that language comes before understanding concepts.
What are criticisms of Piaget’s Cognitive Theory?
Critics argue it may not fully account for the specific linguistic abilities that children demonstrate early in life, such as producing grammatically complex sentences.
What should you look for in data to support Piaget’s theory?
Incidents where a child’s conceptual knowledge influences their language use, such as understanding size but using incorrect words (e.g., “that one’s getting longer and that one’s getting smaller”).
Can you give an example of a child demonstrating conceptual development in language?
A child might say, “My timer. One two three twelve that’s it only that number,” showing an attempt to label and organize numerical concepts with language.
How can Piaget’s theory be evaluated using Chomsky’s ideas?
Examples of linguistic structures exceeding conceptual understanding might challenge Piaget, as they suggest innate grammatical knowledge (e.g., overgeneralization of grammar rules).
Who is the main proponent of Usage-Based Theory?
Michael Tomasello
What is the key idea behind Usage-Based Theory?
Language learning is based on the use of language in social contexts. Children learn by recognizing patterns and using their cognitive skills to understand and produce language both consciously and unconsciously.
How does Usage-Based Theory contrast with Chomsky’s ideas?
Tomasello challenges the concept of an innate universal grammar, instead emphasizing the role of experience and interaction in learning language.
What evidence supports Usage-Based Theory?
Instances where a child expands their own utterances, such as naming a “ball” and “table” separately, then combining them to say “Ball table,” or using verbs in different forms (e.g., present simple, past tense, continuous) as they develop language patterns.
What are criticisms of Usage-Based Theory?
Critics argue it may overlook innate grammatical structures and overemphasize the role of social interaction and experience.
What should you look for in a transcript to support Usage-Based Theory?
Look for:
- Developmental patterns in a child’s language, such as combining known words into new expressions.
- Expansion of grammatical usage, such as moving from present simple to past tense and continuous forms.
- Evidence of pattern recognition and application in language production.
Can you give an example of pattern recognition in language development?
A child might learn to name individual objects like “ball” and “table,” then see a ball on a table and say “Ball table,” showcasing their ability to combine language patterns.
Who is the main proponent of Constructivist Theory?
Jerome Bruner
What is the key idea behind Constructivist Theory?
Language acquisition is a process of constructing knowledge through interaction with the environment. Bruner’s Language Acquisition Support System (LASS) emphasizes the role of caregivers in providing scaffolding for language learning.
What is the Language Acquisition Support System (LASS)?
LASS refers to the framework through which caregivers support and scaffold a child’s language development, helping them navigate language tasks effectively.
What are examples of scaffolding in language learning?
Instances where caregivers use Child Directed Speech (CDS), open and closed questions, or positive reinforcement (Skinner) to guide children through tasks and encourage language use.
How does Constructivist Theory challenge Behaviourist Theory?
While recognizing reinforcement as a part of learning, Constructivist Theory argues that language acquisition involves more than just imitation and reinforcement, incorporating active construction of knowledge.
What criticisms are associated with Constructivist Theory?
Some argue that it does not fully explain the innate aspects of language learning, such as universal grammar proposed by Chomsky.
What should you look for in a transcript to support Constructivist Theory?
- Interactions where a caregiver provides clear scaffolding, leading the child through a task.
- Use of CDS, including simplified language and repetition.
- Open and closed questions that guide and challenge the child’s thinking.
- Positive reinforcement that encourages language exploration and usage.
How does Constructivist Theory relate to Vygotsky’s ideas?
Both emphasize the importance of social interactions and scaffolding in language development, highlighting the role of caregivers in supporting the child’s learning process.
Can you give an example of scaffolding in action?
A caregiver might ask open-ended questions like, “What do we call this animal?” while pointing to a dog, then provide prompts like, “It starts with a ‘d’ sound.”
