theories of language acquisition

linguists

concerned with describing language symbols and stating rules of language structure

psycholinguists

interested in the psychological processes and constructs underlying language

sociolinguists

study language rules and use as a function of role, SES, and context

behavioral psychologists

emphasize the behavioral context of language

SLPs

concentrate on disordered communication

nature vs. nurture beginning

1960s and 70s

major cortical structures involved in language

Wernicke's area, articulate fasciculus, Broca's area, motor cortex, and the primary motor strip

mirror neuron activity

represents actions that can be used not only for imitating actions but also to recognize and determine differences in the action of others

plasticity

the brain's dynamic ability to change constantly and individuals learn, which results in the self-organizing neural network

nativist theory (independent theory)

noam chomsky, says that language is innate or biologically based and requires minimal assistance from the environment, only humans are capable of acquiring and using language as we know it, language is the "same" experience for all users

language universals

common rules among languages of the world

language acquisition device (LAD)

an innate language reservoir filled with information about rules of language structure; language acquisition is a matter of discovering and applying rules of one's own native language

transformational generative grammar (TGG)

accounts for production of an unlimited number of grammatically acceptable sentences; children don't just memorize sentences - they learn rules that allows them to generate (create) and transform sentences they've never heard before; suggests language is processed at two levels and two kinds of rules describe what is occurring at each level

generative

the ability to make new sentences; humans can produce an infinite number of sentences; even young children say things they've never been taught directly

transformational

changing the form of a sentence without changing its basic meaning, children learn that one idea can be expressed in many ways

surface structure

word order and grammar of the sentence

deep structure

thoughts, relationship between ideas, actual meaning

behaviorist theory

BF Skinner, children learn language the same way that they learn other behaviors - through imitation, practice, and reinforcement; language is learned from the environment, not inborn rules; focuses on observable behaviors; language is learned because it is not unique to humans; children are passive in the process of language; imitation is very important

classical conditioning

when an originally neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus that elicits an unconditioned response

operant

any behavior whose frequency can be affected by the responses that follow it

reinforcement

consequence used to cause a behavior to occur with greater frequency

punishment

consequence used to cause a behavior to occur with less frequency

discriminative stimulus

stimulus, such as a cue, that provides information about what to do

delta stimulus

signal indicating that reinforcement will not follow a particular response

aversive stimulus

warning that there will be an unpleasant consequence for a particular behavior

shaping

developing a behavior through small steps that gradually approximate the target behavior

chaining

instructional procedure that involves reinforcing individual responses occurring in a sequence to form a complex behavior

cognitive theory

language itself is not innate (cognitive precursors for language are); language emerges as a product of cognitive organization; skill that children develop; these skills emerge as a consequence of cognitive maturation

information processing theory

function generates language structure; we process info similar to a computer; children are born with potential for connections between symbols and objects and feelings; incorporates both nature and nurture element

social-interactionist theory

language acquisition is a natural consequence of child's early social interactions with caregivers; focuses on language and use; biological and environmental factors are important; child observes mom/dad and attempts to communicate with them -> parent continues to reciprocate and provide new models -> child's communication skills increase

speech act theory

focuses on pragmatics - how context of language influences meaning and how language serves different functions for speaking under varying circumstances

locutionary

the actual utterance and meaning; the act of actually saying something with meaning

illocutionary

intended function; purpose or motive behind what you are saying; utilizes tones, attitude, feelings, or emotions

perlocutionary

resulting outcome; effect a locutionary act might have on a listener, which may or may not be consistent with speaker's communicative intention; the effect may be in the form of thoughts, imaginations, feelings, or emotions