Theories of child language

acquisition
• We have looked at the stages of language
acquisition and the processes involved in
terms of grammar, syntax and phonology

• Theories of language acquisition try to explain

how and why children learn language

• There are 4 main theories of child language

acquisition…
BEHAIVOURIST COGNITIVE

THEORIES OF
LANGUAGE
ACQUISITION

NATIVIST SOCIAL
 1. Behaviourist
• Theory developed by B.F Skinner in
1957
• Children learn language through
operant conditioning and reinforcement
• Children simply repeat and imitate
adult language
• They are rewarded for language
production

• Can you think of any arguments against this theory?

 2. Nativist
• Developed primarily by Noam Chomsky
• Argues that children have an innate ability to learn language
• All children have a Language Acquisition Device (LAD) which
is triggered upon exposure to language
• Apply morphological rules to new
forms: I goed to the park. The ‘wug’
test is relevant here…
 3. Cognitive
• Cognitive theories emphasise the active role of children
and their inquisitive approach to learning language
• Piaget suggested that children acquire language because
they want to describe their environment and it helps to
organise and direct their thinking

• Cognitive theories go hand in hand with social theories…

 4. Social

• Developed by theorists such as

Brown (1973) and Dore (language
functions)

• Argues that children need interaction to learn (child-

directed speech)
• One famous case study is Jim: born to deaf and
dumb parents, he was encouraged to watch TV and
listen to the radio but did not learn language until
starting school
 Task
• Read the booklet with more details on each of
the 4 theories
• Create a revision guide for A Level students on
the topic of Theories of Language Acquisition
• It must be reliable and informative but written
in an engaging tone
• Information must be presented clearly
• Aim to write around 800 words