Imitation Theory

Imitation Theory

1. Frederick Skinner 1904

   • Language is a ‘conditioned behavior’: and is built upon the stimulus response process Feedback of Stimulus Response is Reinforcement which decides whether the language will be learnt or not.
     • Children
       • the child imitates the language of its parents and the persons who are around him.
       • Children learn to speak by imitating the words and noises heard around them and their analogy.
       • Neutral operant, reinforces, punishers
         • A child learns language through positive reinforcement.
           • Children imitate speech sounds and words spoken by caregivers and, provided this imitation is rewarded, learning will take place

2. Learning is produced by rewarding or punishing the results of the active behavior of a human or any other organism as it interacts with the environment

3. It is Behaviorist View on Language learning based on an empirical or behavioral approach

   • Language is learnt through Imitation a process of imitation, and reinforcement

4. Young children need to imitate the language they are hearing around them to help them understand how the components of language

   • Comprehension
   • Vocabulary Growth

5. interaction with caregivers

6. References: (eardrops.co.nz, 2017), (anatarjyoti.blogspot.com, 2017)