1. Cognitive Developmentalist
1.1. Major Theorist: Jean Piaget
1.1.1. Focuses on the role of Nature.This perspective focuses on language developing as a person matures and cognitive development forms (Otto, 2010).
1.1.1.1. Aspect of Language Knowledge:Semantic, Morphemic
2. Interactionist
2.1. Major Theorist: Vygotsky, Bruner, Halliday
2.1.1. The focus of this perspective is nurture. This perspective believes that children learn to communicate by interacting with the world around them (Otto, 2010). This perspective focuses on the developmental process of language rather than the developmental product of language (Otto, 2010).
2.1.1.1. Aspect of Language Knowledge: Pragmatic
3. Nativist Perspective
3.1. Major Theorist: Chomsky
3.1.1. Focuses on the role of Nature. Our own human capabilities are responsible for the development of language (Otto, 2010). Chomsky believes that everybody has the ability to acquire language due to our cognitive structures (Otto, 2010).
3.1.1.1. Aspect of Language knowledge: Syntactic
4. Behaviorist Perspective
4.1. Major Theorist: Skinner
4.1.1. Focuses on the role of Nurture.Learning occurs based on stimuli, responses, and reinforcements that happen in the environment (Otto, 2010). A type of conditioning used with the Behaviorist Perspective is operant conditioning. Operant conditioning is attention, repetition, and approval when talking or learning to talk (Otto, 2010).
4.1.1.1. Aspect of Language Knowledge: semantic, syntactic, morphemic