Theoretical Perspectives
by Mary Kemp
1. Cognitive Developmentalist
1.1. Jean Piaget
1.2. Nature
1.3. Semantic, Morphemic
1.4. children must be at the right cognitive level for language to develop
2. Nativist
2.1. Chomsky
2.2. Nature
2.3. Syntatic
2.4. inborn or innate human capabilities are responsible for language development
3. Behaviorist
3.1. B.F. Skinner
3.2. Nurture
3.3. Semantic, Syntatic, Morpemic
3.4. children are a blank slate and learning occurs through stimulation of the child's environment
4. Interactionist
4.1. Lev Vygotsky
4.2. Nurture
4.3. Pragmatic
4.4. children learn language through social interaction in the society in which they live