Child Language Acquisition Theorists

Question 1

Who wrote about a child’s language being innate?

Answer 1

Chomsky with Nativism

Question 2

Who wrote about language being learned through imitation, reward and punishment?

Answer 2

Skinner and behaviorism

Question 3

Who wrote about cognition theory?

Answer 3

Piaget

Question 4

Who wrote about how a child’s language is reliant on their caregivers?

Answer 4

Jerome Bruner with input theory

Question 5

What are some key features of Nativism?

Answer 5

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”

Question 6

What are some key features of Behaviourism?

Answer 6

We imitate our parents and get rewarded for correct language use and punished for incorrect use

Positive reinforcement theory

Question 7

What are the key features of Cognition theory?

Answer 7

3 main areas of language Acquisition

M.K.O (more knowledgeable other)

ZPD (Zone of proximal development)

Question 8

What are the 3 main stages of a child’s language Acquisition according to cognition theory?

Answer 8

Object permanence

Classification

Seration

Question 9

What is object permanence according to cognition theory?

Answer 9

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

Question 10

What is classification according to cognition theory?

Answer 10

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)

Question 11

What is seration according to cognition theory?

Answer 11

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)

Question 12

What are the key features of input theory?

Answer 12

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

Question 13

What are some examples of child directed speech?

Answer 13

Monosyllabic lexis
Slower speaking
More pauses
More restricted lexis

Question 14

What is the LASS?

Answer 14

Language Acquisition support system

Refers to the support for learning provided by parents and caretakers

Question 15

What occurs after a child reaches object permanence according to cognition theory?

Answer 15

A child’s vocabulary massively expands

Question 16

Who built on Chompskys ideas ?

Answer 16

Lenenburg

Question 17

What did Lenneberg say about a child’s language being inate?

Answer 17

He argued that children can only learn if they have activated the LAD during the critical period (infancy to early puberty)

Question 18

Who wrote about constructivist theory?

Answer 18

Vygotsky

Question 19

What is a M.K.O?

Answer 19

A more knowledgeable other, a person who has a better understanding of language then the child

Question 20

What does Vygotsky write about the Z.P.D?

Answer 20

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.

Question 21

(Cognition) What did Saxton (1997) write about regarding how adults help children learn the correct way to speak?

Answer 21

Adult’s use corrective recasts

For example - Child : ceam
Mum : no it’s cream
Child : oh cream

Question 22

What did Cazden add to Saxtons research? (ZPD)

Answer 22

He claimed that corrective recasts only work if the child is in the right Z.P.D

Question 23

Who wrote about cognition theory?

Answer 23

Piaget