Child Language theorists

Chomsky

Nativist - Child acquisition theory

What is CAT?

Every child is born with a LAD, a hypothetical tool to help learn language by subconsciously storing information in the brain for written and oral communication.

Skinner

Behaviourist - Children learn language through conditioning and its environment - children receive “rewards” for using language in a functional way.

Piaget

Cognitive - Children develop their linguistic competence alongside their natural ability to understand the surrounding world

Halliday

The 7 functions of language

Instrumental

To express their needs - “I want”

Regulatory

To influence the behaviour of others - “Do as I tell you”

Interactional

To form relationships - “Me and you”

Personal

To express opinions or emotions - “I’ll make something you really like”

Heuristic

To seek information and ask questions - “Tell me why”

Imaginative

To express creativity - “Let’s pretend”

Informative

To give information and facts - “I made daddy a snowman”

Tomasello

Usage-based theory and social pragmatic theory

What is usage-based theory?

→ Language comes from our ability to cooperate and socialise

→ Children learn language in social contexts
+ Learn to read intentions before working out patterns of language (grammar)

→ Tomasello argues against the idea of universal grammar (Chomsky)

→ Can be linked to cognitive theorists like Piaget

What is social pragmatic theory?

→ Children learn language socially

> Slots and frames (Where is x, want y, have z)

> Pattern finding (Children notice patterns and turn them into rules)

> Mind-reading (Children develop an ability to guess at thoughts and intentions of those around them

Lenneberg

Critical period

What is the critical period?

Children have a limited period during which their language can develop rapidly. After this, development is much harder.

→ Links to the LASS theory and Skinner’s behaviourist theory

Berko

The wug test

→ Proved children learn the rule of plurals and tested over-generalisation

What are Brown’s stages of language development via morphemes?

27-30 months: ‘-ing’, in/on, ‘s’ pluras

31-34 months: irregular past tense, ‘s possessive, uncontractible copula

35-40 months: articles, regular past tense, 3rd person regular present tense

41-46 months:3rd person irregular, auxillaries, contractible copula,

Bruner

Language acquisition support system (LASS)

What is the LASS theory?

Children are born with an ability to develop language but they require regular interaction with their caregivers or teachers to learn and understand it to a level of full fluency

Proof for Chomsky’s LAD theory

→ Children can make up phrases they’ve never heard before to communicate adequately

→ Understanding of grammar structures before being shown or taught them vocally

Proof for Bruner’s LASS theory

→ Caregivers support children’s language development via gesturing, reformulation, and asking questions

→ Good quality interaction = developed language, think feral children

What proofs behaviourism? (Skinner)

Children imitate accents and colloquialisms, receptive bilingualism, convergence/divergence and overt/covert prestige in certain situations