Language Acquisition Theories

1. Interactionist

1.1. Nurture

1.1.1. Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934)

1.1.2. Pragmatic

1.1.3. Children acquire language with their attempts to communicate with the world around them.

1.1.4. LASS-Language Acquistion Support System

2. Nativist

2.1. Nature

2.1.1. Noam Chomsky (1928-present)

2.1.2. Syntactic

2.1.3. Universal grammar

2.1.4. Discovery of language structure

3. Cognitive

3.1. Nature

3.1.1. Semantic, Morphemic

3.1.2. Language is acquired as maturation occurs.

3.1.3. Object permanence

3.1.4. Use of symbols

3.1.5. Schemeta

4. Behaviorist

4.1. Nurture

4.1.1. B.F. Skinner (1904-1990)

4.1.2. Semantic, Syntantic, Morphemic

4.1.3. Learning is based on stimuli, responses, and events.

4.1.4. Imitative Speech