Theoretical Perspectives
by Tiffany Frick
1. Behaviorist
1.1. Focuses on nurture
1.1.1. Semantic Aspect
1.1.2. Syntactic Aspect
1.1.3. Morphemic Aspect
1.2. Major Theorist
1.2.1. Skinner
1.3. States learning occurs due to stimuli, responses, and reinforcements in the enviroment.
1.4. Imitative speech
1.4.1. Children repeat what they hear or are told to say.
2. Interactionist
2.1. Focuses on nurture
2.1.1. Pragmatic Aspect
2.2. Major Theorists
2.2.1. Vygotsky
2.2.2. Bruner
2.2.3. Halliday
2.3. Children aquire language through social interactions with surrounding world.
2.4. It is about the language development process not the langauge developed.
3. Nativist
3.1. Focuses on nature
3.1.1. Syntactic Aspect
3.2. Major Theorist
3.2.1. Chomsky
3.3. Nature is responisble for language development.
3.3.1. Everyone is born with the ability to learn language.
3.4. Learn by discovering and recognizing the structure of their language.
3.4.1. Thanks to the LAD
4. Cognitive Developmentalist
4.1. Focuses on nature
4.1.1. Semantic Aspect
4.1.2. Morphemic Aspect
4.2. Major Theorist
4.2.1. Piaget
4.3. Language grows as the cognitive section of the brain develops.
4.3.1. Nature gives blueprint and laguage blossoms as the mind matures.