4394272
Description
Mind Map by Tom Eustice, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Tom Eustice
about 8 years ago
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Language
Acquisition
Theories
- B.F.
Skinner
(1957)
- Thinks animals are able to learn things by
imitation and reinforcement. Therefore,
humans learn language by these methods too.
- Imitation
=
repeating
what
adults say
- Reinforcement =
being rewarded
for correct
language use and
not
rewarded/corrected
for
incorrect
use
- Imitation
=
repeating
what
adults say
- Obviously this theory
is unlikely to be the
only way children
learn language, and
many objections exist.
- Developmental milestones - children learn language at the same rate, no matter race, sex, culture, and
even if they're spoken to less than another child
- Logical mistakes - if this theory was true, why would
children create words they've never even heard?!
- Exceptions - Lenneberg (1962) conducted research to show that even people that couldn't imitate can still
write and use language. Likewise, deaf people can often speak relatively well and also use language
- Critical period - feral children cannot imitate if after the critical period. If this theory was true, why
can't they learn language?
- Caretaker reinforcement - parents do not reinforce the child every single time they get something wrong or
praise them every time they get it right so how could the child be sure?
- Resistance to correction - if
children are susceptible to
changing their language through
parent reinforcement, why do
some never change their
language after millions of
corrections?
- Functions of
language -
Skinner's
theory
suggests
language is
only used to
get what the
child wants or
attention
- David Crystal, however, argues that language has a phonological use. It's used just because it's fun and the love of the sound of it!
- David Crystal, however, argues that language has a phonological use. It's used just because it's fun and the love of the sound of it!
- Developmental milestones - children learn language at the same rate, no matter race, sex, culture, and
even if they're spoken to less than another child
- Thinks animals are able to learn things by
imitation and reinforcement. Therefore,
humans learn language by these methods too.
- Katherine Nelson
(1973) - One Word
Stage
- Also disagrees
with Skinner's
theory and
argues that
children who
have generally
accepting
parents will have
a faster
language
development
than those who
are constantly
corrected.
- Also disagrees
with Skinner's
theory and
argues that
children who
have generally
accepting
parents will have
a faster
language
development
than those who
are constantly
corrected.
- Uses of
Language
- Instrumental = language used to identify biological needs (e.g. water)
- Regulatory = language used to control others (e.g. shut the door)
- interactional = language with no actual meaning, mainly to form friendships (e.g. you alright)
- Personal = emotional language which relates to pain, fear, stress and emotions (e.g. OUCH)
- Heuristic = language seeking information (e.g. why do we exist?)
- Imaginative = the language of creative writing, poetry and roleplaying. (e.g, I'll be the doctor and you be the patient)
- Representational = langage that communicates information (e.g. the sky is blue)
- Performative = language that attempts to control reality (e.g. curses,
charms, prayers, magic)
- Instrumental = language used to identify biological needs (e.g. water)
- How
do we
talk to
children?
- We talk to children in
different ways than we
talk to adults in order to
help them understand
and learn language.
- Phonology = speak
slowly with longer
pauses, more
exaggeration and
more emphasis
between
statements,
commands and
questions
- Semantics =
limited
vocabulary,
simplifies
vocabulary with
modified words
(e.g. doggie)
- Grammar =
use fewer
verbs in
fewer tenses.
Philips'
research,
1973, says we
use a
sentence
time of 3.7
seconds on
average with
children, but
8.4 with
adults. More
incomplete
and simply
sentences
combined
with open tag
questions
- Pragmatics = more
physical gestures, fewer
utterances per turn,
supportive language and
questions to ensure the
adult has correctly
understood the child.
- Phonology = speak
slowly with longer
pauses, more
exaggeration and
more emphasis
between
statements,
commands and
questions
- We talk to children in
different ways than we
talk to adults in order to
help them understand
and learn language.
- Chomsky's
Language
Acquisition
Device
(LAD)
- The belief that we all
have an internalised
system of rules that
relate sound and
meaning in a particular
way and allow us to
communicate.
- The belief that we all
have an internalised
system of rules that
relate sound and
meaning in a particular
way and allow us to
communicate.
- Jean
Pagiet's
Intellectual
Development
Theory
- The theory that in the first 18 months of language learning, children see themselves at the centre of the universe and think and
speak about everything in relation to themselves. They learn language as they begin to identify that other things exist except
themselves and they then recognise these other things have words.
- The theory that in the first 18 months of language learning, children see themselves at the centre of the universe and think and
speak about everything in relation to themselves. They learn language as they begin to identify that other things exist except
themselves and they then recognise these other things have words.
- Ruth Weir (1972)
- Conducted research on her son and
found that his pre-sleep dialogues
showed hum going though linguistic
drills in order to try and learn language.
- Conducted research on her son and
found that his pre-sleep dialogues
showed hum going though linguistic
drills in order to try and learn language.
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