Topic:

Similarities and diferences between Behaviorist and

Innatist Theory

 The manner in which a child acquires

acquires language is a matter
matter long debated by linguists
linguists and Child
 psychologists. During the twentieth century there has been a great deal of Psycholinguistic
research into how this process takes place. These research findings have revolutionized the way
many
many lingui
linguists
sts regard
regard the languag
languagee learni
learning
ng proces
process.
s. Howeve
Howeverr the interp
interpret
retati
ation
on of these
these
investigations has always been under dispute and it consequently divided linguists into adherents
of two contrad
contradict
ictory
ory hypothe
hypotheses
ses!! behavio
behavioris
rism
m on one side
side and innati
innatism
sm on the other
other.. The
follow
following
ing segmen
segmentt presen
presents
ts a compar
comparati
ative
ve study
study betwee
betweenn these
these two diamet
diametric
ricall
ally
y opposi
oppositete
theoretical accounts of language acquisition.

Behaviorist Theory:

The behaviorist perspective dominated the study of learning throughout the "st half of the
twentieth century. The #ehaviorist Theory focuses on the use of imitation and practice for 
language acquisition. $ccording to this theory babies learn oral language from the humans in
their environment through imitation rewards and practice. %hen a baby tries to speak a word
and succeeds parents and other adults in his world often praise him. This propels the child to try
harder
harder to achieve
achieve more.
more. #ehavi
#ehaviori
orism
sm is an approa
approachch to langua
language
ge acquis
acquisiti
ition
on based
based on the
 proposition that behavior can be researched scientifically without recourse to inner mental states.
&t is a form of materialism denying any independent signi'cance for mind. The behaviorist
theory emerges on the basis of following assumptions!

 (anguage learning is a habit formation resembling the formation of other habits. That is
a language is learned in the way in which other habits are learned.
 )ree will is illusory and all behavior is determined by the environment either through
association or reinforcement.
 Human acquire a language as discrete units of habits independently trained not as an
integrated system.

This theory puts emphasis on three important factors * stimulus response and reinforcement. The
+stimulus * response * reinforcement, chain can be en visaged through the following illustration!
Innatist Theory
Two years later when behaviorism came in for a bitter criticism the $merican linguist -oam
Chomsky "/0/1 proposed a completely different view of language acquisition. His &nnatist view
was a direct challenge to the established behaviorist theories of the time rekindling the age*old
debate over whether
whether language e2ists
e2ists in the mind before e2perience
e2perience or not. This oral language
language
development theory states that learning is a natural process for human beings. The &nnatist
Theory gives rise to the (anguage $cquisition Device ($D1 which is thought to be a part of the
 brain that enables all children to grasp language naturally.
naturally. However the &nnatist Theory fails to
e2plain why children from different cultures and environments vary in the time taken to develop
oral language. The &nnatist Theory is more widely accepted and understood than the #ehaviorist
Theory.
The theoretical assumptions underlying the &nnatist theory is as follows!

 3very
3very human
human child
child posses
possesses
ses innate
innate knowled
knowledge
ge of languag
languagee struct
structure
ure which
which called
called
(anguage $cquisition Device or ($D.

 (anguage learning is distinct from other cognitive capacities.

 4oung children learn and apply grammatical rules and vocabulary as they are e2posed to
them and do not require initial formal teaching.

The function of ($D can be visualized through the following illustraon:

Similarities between Behaviorist Theory & Innatist Theory
Though there are much debate and differences between #ehaviorist and &nnatist Theory they
have some similarities!
similarities!

". #oth
#oth are the theo
theory
ry of langua
language
ge learn
learning
ing..
5. #oth of these
these theories
theories help
help to describe
describe some
some aspects
aspects of first
first language
language acquisit
acquisition.
ion.

6. -either
-either the behaviori
behaviorist
st nor the
the innatist
innatist theories
theories are
are able to adequate
adequately
ly encompass
encompass the
comple2ity of language acquisition.

7. #oth of them
them are some
some way logical
logical in some
some aspect of
of acquiring
acquiring first
first language.
language.

0. #oth of them
them are not totall
totally
y independent
independent one has been
been corrected
corrected by the
the other.
other.

8. #oth of them
them have emphasis
emphasis on
on a specific
specific part of language
language learnin
learning
g process
process but none of
them is completely9wholly appropriate for first language learning.

Differences
Differences between Behaviorist Theory& Innatist Theory
Considering the theoretical principles of #ehaviorist and &nnatist theory we find that each theory
holds different
different aspects of language
language acquisitio
acquisition.
n. This divergence
divergence has created
created a gulf between the
theories.The difference between Behaviourism and innatism can be described in the following
way:

Behaviorist Theory Innatist Theory

". $ccord
$ccording
ing to
to behavi
behaviour
ourism
ism langua
languagege is ". $ccord
$ccording
ing to innati
innatism
sm langua
language
ge
learnt in the way other habits are learnt. develops in the same way as other
 biological functions.
5. Through
Through behavi
behaviour
ourist
ist theor
theory
y language
language 5. (angua
(anguage
ge acqui
acquisit
sition
ion is
is a conge
congenit
nital
al
acquisition is a stimulus response  process.
 process.
6. &n behav
behaviou
iouris
rism
m knowl
knowledg
edgee is seen
seen as
as 6. &n innati
innatism
sm :nowle
:nowledge
dge is seen
seen
constant. dynamic.
7. &n behav
behaviou
iouris
rism
m learni
learning
ng is said
said to be 7. &n inna
innatis
tism
m lear
learnin
ning
g is said
said to be
successful when the child can repeat successful when the child can generate
what was taught. innumerable grammatically correct
 sentences and re;ects ungrammatical
ones.
0. The behavi
behaviour
ourist
ist view
view holds
holds that
that 0. The innati
innatist
st view
view maintai
maintains
ns that
that
children need formal teaching and children do not require primary formal
guidance to learn in a correct way. instruction.
8. &t igno
ignores
res the creati
creativit
vity
y of huma
humann 8. &t view
viewss langua
languagege acqui
acquisit
sition
ion as a
 beings. creative process.

<. The behavio

viourist th
theory is
is me
mechanical.
al. <. The &n
&nnati
atist ththeory
ory is
is no
not mec
mechhanical
cal
since it does consider the child as an
inert recipient
=. The beha
behavio
viouri
urist
st theor
theoryy cannot
cannot e2pla
e2plain
in =. The inna
innatis
tistt theory
theory gives
gives some
some rati
rational
onal
how the child precedes in his9her e2planations about children>s language
 ;ourney of language acquisition. acquisition procedure.
/. (angua
(anguagege acqui
acquisit
sition
ion is
is the
the result
result of
of /. (angua
(anguage ge acquis
acquisitiition
on is the
the resul
resultt of
nurture. nature.

"?. The behaviourist

behaviouristss believe that human "?. The &nnatist
&nnatist believes
believes that human mind
mind is a blank slate. is no tubula rasa.

"". The behaviourist

behaviouristss e2periment
e2periment upon "". The innatist
innatist e2perimen
e2perimentt on human
animals not human beings. child not animals.
"5. #ehaviouris
#ehaviourismm is a theory of "5. &nnatism
&nnatism is a theory of knowledge
knowledge not
 behaviour not of knowledge of behaviour 

"6. The behaviouris

behaviouristt theory does not "6. #ut the innatist
innatist claim
claim that (anguage
advocate the critical period of language acquisition only functions if it is
learning. stimulated at the correct time.

"7. #ehaviourism stresses on correction

correction "7. The innatist
innatist view holds that correction
correction
and considers it as an essential part in is useless in language acquisition.
language acquisition.
"0. The behaviourist
behaviouristss fail to recognize the "0. The &nnatist
&nnatist recognizes
recognizes which they call
logical problem of language acquisition the poverty of the @timulus argument.

From the above comparative

comparative study it is obvious that the theories differ from each other in a
directly. Aather  it
many of ways. However, it is hardly possible to take any of these two options directly.  ,
 ,

might be possible to progress in the direction of regarding the human being as a mixture of 
genetically determined capacities and knowledge gained by experience. That means language
acuisition reuires situational stimuli plus !"#:
$n conc
conclu
lusi
sion
on,, neit
neithe
herr acco
accoun
untt shou
should
ld be tota
totall
lly
y dism
dismis
isse
sed.
d. They
They shou
should
ld be seen
seen as
complementary rather than contradictory.

The 3nd

%sychological research has recently

"8. (anguage
(anguage learning
learning is a practice
practice based. "8. (anguage
(anguage learning
learning is a rule based.

"<. $ccording
$ccording to behaviourism
behaviourism knowledge
knowledge "<. $ccording
$ccording to innatism
innatism knowledge e2its
e2its outside of individuals. inside individuals.