Theoretical Perspectives that Promotes Language Acquisition

1. Linguist Noam Chomsky is the theorist associated with the nativist perspective and it focuses on the syntactic aspect of language. The nativist perspective emphasizes inborn or innate human capabilities in nature, as being responsible for language development and Linguist Noam Chomsky contends that all people inherently have the capacity to acquire language due to cognitive structures that process language differently from other stimuli. Opportunities to draw and write would encourage children to communicate and create meaning based on their ideas of how language works.

1.1. Nativist Perspective

1.2. Action Point 2

2. Skinner Skinner is the theorist of the behaviorist perspective and it supports the syntactic aspect of language knowledge. The behaviorist perspective emphasizes the role of “nurture” and considers learning to occur based on the stimuli, responses, and reinforcements that occur in the environment (Otto, 2010, p.31). When teaching finger plays and action songs, the focus would be on using repetition, imitation, and positive reinforcement; a teacher's enthusiasm and praise for children's efforts in learning the finger play or action songs would provide further reinforcement.

2.1. Behaviorist Perspective

2.2. Medium Priority

2.3. Low Priority

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9. Plan

9.1. Goals

9.1.1. Goal 1

9.1.2. Goal 2

9.2. Rules

9.2.1. Session Rule 1

9.2.2. Session Rule 2

9.3. Capture Ideas

9.4. Prioritize Ideas

9.5. Cognitive Perspective

10. The cognitive developmental perspective is based in the work of Jean Piaget and it focuses on nature and semantic, syntactic, and morphemic aspect of language knowledge. The emphasis of this perspective is that language is acquired as maturation occurs and cognitive competencies develop this perspective also proposes that a child learns language by using the same mechanisms as for other learning. Curricula in infant care centers would have many opportunities for infants to engage in sensorimotor activities and many opportunities to engage in symbol making and symbol manipulation would also be provided so children would have activities that encourage them to represent their world using oral and written symbols through speaking, drawing, and writing.

11. Vygotsky, Bruner, and Halliday are the theorists of the interactionist perspective. It focuses on nurture and pragmatic aspect of language knowledge and the interactionist perspective focuses on the role of sociocultural interaction in children's development of language knowledge (Bruner, 1983, 1990; John-Steiner, Panofsky, & Smith, 1994; Schieffelin & Ochs, 1986). For example a child’s mother uses scaffolding to engage Allison in a rhyming song as she puts on Allison's shoes and socks. Not only does this distract Allison from protesting over putting on her shoes and socks, but it provides a way for Allison to learn more about a song that she heard previously, enabling her to participate in re-creating the rhyming song.

11.1. Interactionist Perspective

11.2. Idea 2

11.3. Idea 3

11.4. Idea 4

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