Child Language

Chomsky (1959)

Children have a metaphorical device called the Language Acquisition Device that allows them to innately understand Universal Grammar rules. This can be proven with the use of Virtuous Errors, errors the child will make with irregular verbs (throwed — threw)

Skinner (1957)

Operant Conditioning aids a child in acquiring language similar to the way that behaviors are learnt. Positive and Negative reinforcement provide stimulus for a child that encourages them to imitate language.

Bruner - Social Interactionalism

Children learn from their environment and caregivers who use LASS (Language Acquisition Support System), a system adapted for children to help them develop their language through things such as a raised pitch, sing-song intonation and gestures.

Tomasello - Social Constructivism

Children are active learners, they learn language rules and learn to construct it (Schemas). They listen to speech from their caregivers or other things like television and radio, find patterns through “intention-reading” and analyse them to develop their language further.

Piaget - Cognitive Theory

Learning cannot occur if a child is not at the cognitive stage that allows it. Until children learn the rule of object permanence, they find it hard to name things. Children go through an egocentric phase at ages 2-7, using first-person pronouns because they haven’t learned the idea of different perspectives.

Nelson - Nouns

60% of first utterances from children were nouns from labelling things.

Preverbal Stage (0 - 1yrs)

Cooing, Babbling (bababa—reduplicated,, wabgalulueh—variegated) Paralinguistic features (gestures)

Holophrastic (1 - 1,5 yrs)

One word phrases (milk — I want Milk), volume intonation, eye contact, gestures, start labelling things

Two-Word Phrase (1.5 - 2yrs)

Pick up new words, Auxillary words are absent but still show understanding of grammar through syntax.