EL204 – PRINCIPLES AND THEORIES OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION ADDITIONAL INFO
Main Theorist and Theories in Child Language
Acquisition
THE INNATENESS THEORY BY NOAM CHOMSKY
- This theory suggests that children have an
innate ability to learn language, which allows
any child who are in critical period to be able
to learn a language.
- Chomsky argues that children have
something that he has coined as the LAD
(Language Acquisition Device) which is a
thing in a child’s brain that allows them to be
able to pick up any language, regardless and
argues that children simply do not imitate
language that they hear around them.
- Chomsky has one of the most forward
theories in terms of language acquisition, and
many other theorists support this theory in
some ways
- However, one argument that does not support
the innateness theory is the simple arguments
of accents. Children must imitate at least [art
of their surroundings because this is how
different regional accents are developed and
how different languages are developed
- One of the biggest opposing arguments to
Chomsky’s Innateness theory
IMITATION THEORY BY B.F SKINNER
- One of the biggest arguments to Chomsky’s
innateness theory
1
- The imitation theory states that children only
learn language through listening and copying
the language that they hear around them.
- As soon as children have mastered their
mouth muscles and voice boxes, this is when
children begin copying what is being said,
mainly by their primary caregivers.
- This theory, whilst on the surface may seem
fairly obvious, is flawed in many ways, with
one of its only supporting arguments being
the acquisitions of accents, which was noted
above. But if children only learnt the language
around them, they wouldn’t know the rules of
grammar and so would continue to make
mistakes throughout their lives.
INPUT INTERACTION THEORY BY JEROME
BRUNER
- This theory relies on the idea that children
require a lot of interaction with people, mainly
their primary caregivers, to really grasp the
language they are learning.
- This theory favours Chomsky’s Innateness
Theory, and Bruner coined another term
which partners with Chomsky’s LAD.
- Bruner came up with the idea of LASS
(Language Acquisition Support System),
which argues that children do have an innate
ability to learn and acquire language, but also
require the interaction of other users of the
same language to excel in their learning.
EL204 – PRINCIPLES AND THEORIES OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION ADDITIONAL INFO
STEPHEN KRASHEN HYPOTHESIS
1. THE ACQUISITION-LEARNING
HYPOTHESIS
- In the first hypothesis, these are the two
independent system in SL performance.
- Acquisition—A product of subconscious
process
- Learning—Product of formal instruction and it
comprises a conscious process which results
in conscious knowledge (rules of grammar)
2. THE MONITOR HYPOTHESIS
- According to Krashen, the role of the monitor
is insignificant, being used only to correct
nonconformities from regular speech and to
give a speech a more refined appearance,
which means, it focuses on the form and
structure or thinks about correctness and of
the rules. A person who lacks self-confidence
needs to monitor in engaging the language.
3. THE NATURAL ORDER HYPOTHESIS
- In his third hypothesis, this depends on the
age of the learner, background of the child's
first language, level of exposure to language,
this comes naturally and not forced of
acquiring the language, his readiness must be
considered also.
4. THE INPUT HYPOTHESIS
- In his fourth hypothesis, comprehensible input
is observed, when he/she is exposed to it, this
also focused on acquiring not learning. If a
child acquires the language aided with
comprehensible input, it is an advantage to a
child to his progress in the language.
5. THE AFFECTIVE FILTER HYPOTHESIS
- The last hypothesis of Krashen talks about
the condition, sense of acquiring the
language, its actually normal, that if a child
low in his confidence, esteem and live with
anxiety as high, is already a disadvantage to
acquiring the language, it seems that these
are barriers and hindrances to receive input
(comprehensible input) to use for acquiring
the language.
As teachers soon, you need to take
into account the assessment on how your
learner acquire the language by then you will
be guided on the process of how will they
learn the language.
To sum it up, these methods or
hypotheses do not force early production in
the second language, but allow students to
produce when they are 'ready', recognizing
that improvement comes from supplying
communicative and comprehensible input,
and not from forcing and correcting
production.