ASSIGNMENT 01

NAME: MUKHZARA SHAUKAT

ROLL NO. 20014102-055
COURSE TITLE: PSYCHOLINGUISTICS

SUBMITTED TO: SIR RAZA E MUSTAFA

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
UNIVERSITY OF GUJRAT
 TOPIC: COGNITIVISM AS A THEORY OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

The cognitive theory:

Cognitive theory is a broad theoretical framework in psychology that emphasizes the role of
mental processes in human behavior. This theory suggests that our thoughts, perceptions, and
memories play a critical role in shaping our behavior and experiences. Cognitive theory assumes
that the mind is an active processor of information, and that people use their cognitive abilities
to interpret and make sense of the world around them. It also suggests that people have a
limited capacity for processing information, and that the way information is organized and
stored in memory can affect how it is retrieved and used in future situations.
Some key concepts within cognitive theory include attention, perception, memory, problem-
solving, and decision-making. Cognitive psychologists study these concepts and seek to
understand the underlying mental processes that contribute to them. They also explore how
cognitive processes can be influenced by factors such as emotions, motivation, and social
context. Overall, cognitive theory provides a comprehensive framework for understanding
human behavior and mental processes, emphasizing the critical role of the mind in shaping our
experiences and behavior.
The cognitive theory has its roots in the works of several influential psychologists, but its
development is often attributed to the pioneering work of American psychologist George A.
Miller and his colleagues in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Another key figure in the
development of the cognitive theory was Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, who conducted
extensive research on the cognitive development of children and proposed a stage theory of
cognitive development that emphasized the importance of children's active exploration and
construction of knowledge.
COGNITIVISM AS THEORY OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION:
Cognitivism is a theoretical framework in psychology that emphasizes the role of mental
processes in learning and development.
In the context of language acquisition, cognitivism suggests that language learning is not just a
matter of imitation or habit formation, but rather involves complex cognitive processes that
allow learners to understand and produce language.
Cognitivists argue that language acquisition is driven by innate mental structures or
mechanisms that enable children to learn and use language. According to this view, children are
born with a set of mental rules and abilities that allow them to make sense of the sounds,
words, and grammatical structures of their native language. These mental structures include
the ability to categorize sounds, identify word boundaries, and recognize syntactic patterns.
Here are some examples that illustrate how the cognitivist theory of language acquisition
works:
Innate mental structures:
According to cognitivists, children are born with an innate ability to learn language.
For example, infants are able to distinguish between the sounds of different languages, even
before they start speaking. They also have an innate capacity for language processing, which
allows them to analyze and categorize sounds, words, and grammatical structures.
Cognitive development:
As children's cognitive abilities grow and mature, they become better able to understand and
produce more complex language.
For example, toddlers may use simple sentences like "me want cookie," but as they develop
more advanced cognitive abilities, they become better at using more complex sentence
structures like "I want a cookie, please."
Language input and feedback:
Children need exposure to a rich and varied language input, as well as feedback on their
language use, in order to refine their mental representations of language and improve their
language skills.
For example, parents who use rich and varied language with their children can help their
children develop more advanced language skills. Similarly, feedback from parents or teachers
can help children correct errors in their language use and improve their accuracy and fluency.
 Cognitivists also emphasize the importance of cognitive development and maturation in
language acquisition. They suggest that as children's cognitive abilities grow and mature, they
become better able to process and understand language.
For example, young children may have difficulty understanding complex sentence structures,
but as they develop more advanced cognitive abilities, they become more proficient at
interpreting and producing complex sentences.
In addition to innate mental structures and cognitive development, cognitivism also
emphasizes the role of input and feedback in language acquisition. Cognitivists argue that
language learners need exposure to a rich and varied language input, as well as feedback on
their language use, in order to refine their mental representations of language and improve
their language skills.
Cognitivism provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how children acquire
language, emphasizing the importance of innate mental structures, cognitive development, and
language input and feedback.

Principles of cognitivism in language acquisition:

Categorization of sounds: According to cognitivists, children have an innate ability to categorize
sounds, which helps them to learn the sounds of their native language. For example, a baby
may recognize the difference between the sounds "mama" and "dada" before they even start
speaking, and this ability to categorize sounds helps them to differentiate between the words
they hear.
Syntactic development: As children's cognitive abilities develop, they become better at using
more complex sentence structures. For example, a young child may say "me want cookie," but
as they develop more advanced cognitive abilities, they become better at using more complex
sentence structures like "I want a cookie, please."
Input and feedback: Cognitivists emphasize the importance of language input and feedback in
language acquisition. For example, a child who is exposed to a rich and varied language input
from their parents and caregivers is more likely to develop more advanced language skills.
Similarly, feedback from parents or teachers can help children correct errors in their language
use and improve their accuracy and fluency.
Language transfer: Cognitivists also recognize the role of prior knowledge in language
acquisition. For example, a child who already knows two languages may transfer their
knowledge of one language to the other, using similar sentence structures and vocabulary.
Active engagement: Cognitivists emphasize the importance of active engagement in language
acquisition. For example, a child who is encouraged to engage in conversation and ask
questions is more likely to develop advanced language skills than a child who is only passively
exposed to language.
Overall, these examples demonstrate how the principles of cognitivism are manifested in real-
life language acquisition. The theory emphasizes the importance of innate mental structures,
cognitive development, and language input and feedback in helping children acquire language
skills.
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