Speech and Language Development in Infancy l Flashcards
What are the two main theories of language acquisition ?
Nativists Theories
Empiricist Theories
Attempts to discover
constant processes
underlying observable data
ex: “I want milk” => Analyze the form of the utterance
ex: Evidence that the child
knows English word order
Distinguishing features of Structuralism
- Establish predictive
relationships between
situational variables and
language - “I want milk” =>Utterance
is followed by a glass of
milk
Distinguishing features of Functionalism
What describes competence in language development?
- Individualʼs knowledge of
language - structuralists
What describes performance in language development?
- Actual instances of
language use - Functionalists
What are the classical theories?(2)
Behavioral and Linguistic
What are the interactionist theories? (3)
Cognitive, Social, Usage/Gestural
- Classical and operant conditioning (reinforcement)
- Productive speech is the result of reinforcements and
punishments supplied by environmental agents - Language development is determined by training, not
maturation - Imitation is an important factor for language learning
Behavioral Approach
-Language is innate in humans
- Language has a structure (or grammar) that is
independent of language use
-Chomsky: Language faculty a Component of the brain devoted to language
Linguistic Approach
- Internal structures determine behavior
- Invariant order of acquisition across languages
- Piaget: Language is not a separate innate characteristic,
but rather an ability that results from cognitive
development - sequence of cognitive development determines the
sequence of language development
Cognitive Approach
Combines aspects of behavioral and linguistic approaches
- Speech directed to children (motherese or infant-directed
speech) facilitates language development
- Language emerge from interplay between children’s linguistic
and cognitive capacities and social environment
Social Approach
Language acquisition is the product of cognitive and social
processes
- Human language roots consist of communicative pointing and
iconic gestures
- American Sign language à Full and genuine language
- Mirror neurons: a neuron that fires both when performing an
action and when observing the same action performed by
another person
Usage Based
System of categories, mechanisms and constraints shared by
all human languages and considered to be innate:
Universal grammar
According to Chomsky: the language faculty must have at least 2 components:
Cognitive system - information storage
Performance system - Access information and makes use of it
Innate biological language
component that specializes in
language processing
Language acquisition device
Linguistic approaches: ___________ triggers the maturation of a ___________ based language system but does not shape verbal ____________
Linguistic approaches: Environment riggers the maturation of a physiologically based language system but does not shape verbal behavior.
Linguistic approaches favors _________ (formal organization of grammar )over ___________ .
Competence over performance
According to Vygotsky: __________ development results from interaction between
children _________ skills and _______experiences
Cognitive development results from interaction between
children innate skills and social experiences
According to Vygotsky: ________ interaction between an __________ and a “capable”
person (e.g., caregivers) is critical for language ______________
Social interaction between an infant and a “capable”
person (e.g., caregivers) is critical for language acquisition
Focus on measurable aspects of language behavior
- Avoids mentalistic explanations (e.g., intentions or
implicit knowledge of grammatical rules)
- Emphasize performance over competence
- Language is a behavior
- Child is typically view as a passive recipient of stimuli
Behavioral Approach
- Critical Period for language
- It favors competence over performance
- Language Acquisition Device
-Environment triggers maturation of a physiologically based language system but does not shape verbal behavior
Linguistic approach
What are the 3 types of interactive approaches?
Cognitive
Social
Usage-based
Which approach states that:
Multiple factors affect development (e.g., social, linguistic,
biological, cognitive) and these factors interact with each
other
Interactionist approach
Nonlinguistic aspects of
interaction are key: turn-taking,
mutual gaze, joint attention, and
cultural conventions
- Social interactive language
learning à Interactions between
caregivers and children are the
basis for future conversational
patterns ( S t e r n e t a l ., 1 9 7 7 )
- Environment plays an important
role in childʼs language growth
Social Interaction Approach
