Theories of First Language Acquisition

Theories of First Language Acquisition

1. Behaviorist

   • The main tenet of this theory relates to the analyses of human behavior in terms of observable stimulus-response interaction and the association
     • particularly as developed in the operant conditioning model of Skinner
       • in this view language development is an issue of conditioning via practice, imitation, reinforcement, and habituation,
         • It also has had enormous impacts on many teaching methods, for instance, Audio-lingual Method, Total Physical Response, and Silent Way represent the behaviorist view of language. 3.
   • Neo Behaviorist
     • Neo-behaviorists added concepts including thought and mental processes in their analysis of human behavior, and consequently the issue of meaning was of dominant requirement in the clarification of human language performance
       • This model which relates stimulus-response events through internal mediating processes was known as 'meditational’ approach and was greatly attributed to Osgood.