The development of language acquisition in children begins in their first few years of life. “Human beings are born to speak (Genishi, 1998), with babies, children and even adults, frequently imitating, observing and listening to the various dialects that they are exposed too. The interaction and communication within the environment also plays an essential role in the development of language acquisition. The repetitive use of stories, books and the continual guidance of the adults in their lives heightens children’s literacy and language development, which inevitable helps them succeed during their schools lives and beyond (Zero to Three, 2003). This essay will describe and explore the development of language acquisition; it will compare and contrast the theories of language, and it will discuss implications of the differing theoretical perspectives upon educators.
Language acquisition is the process that allows humans to communicate effectively with each other by; speaking, reading, writing and listening. It is through these communication tools that we use various arbitrary signals such as; gestures, motions and body language to convey meaning. The development of language acquisition follows three main components; Phonology, Syntax and Semantics, these components help us understand what level of language children are at, and how educators and parents can support these language levels (Genishi, 1998). All children’s language acquisition will rapidly progress through age, and will enhance through environmental influences and the specific experiences. This could be through either; an engaging and supportive learning environment/setting or; healthy and positive interactions and communications with parents, teachers or peers.
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In regards to child development, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are both highly regarded and well known for their theories. Some educators view themselves as Piagetian while others view themselves as Vygotskians. They see Piaget and Vygotsky as being vastly different. Then there are others who see similarities between the two and hold both Piaget and Vygotsky as correct in their theories. The purpose of this paper is to examine the similarities and differences between Piaget and Vygotsky and determine what can be gained by better understanding these theories.
Piaget versus Vygotsky: Similarities and Differences This paper explores the ideas of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Exploring their philosophies and how they impact us today. The two scholarly articles show similarities and differences in their works and explore what they each mean. Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are two of the most influential philosophers in the field of cognitive development.
The main similarities between the two theories are development perspective, a dialectical approach, non-reductionist view, a non-dualistic thesis, an emphasis on action, a primacy of processes over external contents or outcomes, and a focus on qualitative changes over the quantitative changes. The first similarity between the two theories is the dialectical approach (Lourenco, 2012). The next paragraph will discuss two of the main similarities of Piaget and Vygotsky’s theories including the development perspective and a dialectical
This essay is about a child’s development and learning, focusing primarily on language development. It will describe the main stages of developmental "milestones" and the key concepts involved for children to develop their language skills, discussing language acquisition and social learning theory. The essay will also look into the key theorists involved in language development, primarily Vygotsky and Chomsky, and how these theories have had an impact on the way society views language and their implementation within schools. The essay will describe the factors affecting language development, both biological and environmental. While also discussing key arguments among theorists, one being the nature vs nurture debate, and how these play a part in the teaching in schools.
Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are arguably two of the most noted and influential developmental psychologists. Their contributions to the field of developmental psychology, while different, also have several similarities. Throughout the following paper, I will discuss some of the similarities and, according to Orlando Laurenco, definitive differences of Piaget and Vygotsky.
The study of the ways in which people affect, and are affected by others, is known as social psychology; a primary means by which people affect one another is through the medium of Communication (Kruglanski and Higgins, 2007). At the heart of communication is the idea of shared meanings between one, or more people, however, communication is not simply a case of exchanging words; through the process of communication we create meanings and an understanding of what words and behaviours represent or imply (Ramaraju, 2012). Language acquisition forms a critical basis for a child’s development, it is an essential tool for communicating, building relationships with others, and learning (Brock and Rankin, 2008). This assignment probes early language acquisition in infants and children; starting with typical child language
... (p. 116). In her article, “Babies Prove Sound Learners,” Sohn (2008), states, “Such studies show that, up to about 6 months of age, babies can recognize all the sounds that make up all the languages in the world” (para.24). B.K. Skinner suggest that the materialization of language is the result of imitation and reinforcement. According to Craig and Dunn (2010), “Language development is linked to cognitive development that, in turn, depends on the development of the brain, on physical and perceptual abilities, and on experiences. Biological and social factors also jointly influence the early development of emotion and personality” (p. 117). In her article, A natural history of early language experience. Hart (2000), states, “Talking is important for children, because complexity of what children say influences the complexity of other people’s response” (para. 1).
In my reaction paper I will discuss B.F. Skinners theory operant conditioning and the ways he tested it out on animals, how it relates to humans, and how I can relate operant conditioning to my own personal life.
Language isn’t intentionally taught, but more picked up as the child grows up; “we do not learn words from dictionaries, we take them from conversations that subsequently shape our understanding of the world” (Thompson, 2009). Because of this, educators need to give time for children to practice their language skills. That doesn’t happen when children are doing skill-and-drill exercises over a concept, but rather when they are playing with their peers. Early educators can help facilitate this language development by introducing and teaching children new words and phrases.
The aim of this essay is to explore language acquisition and compare and contrast different theories of language acquisition and language development. Language in its most basic form is used to communicate our needs and wants. It encompasses a range of modes of delivery including signing, spoken and written words, posture, eye contact, facial expressions and gestures. So how do we learn ‘language’? Are we born with the skills for communication, or is it something that we have to learn or have taught to us? Four theories are looked at in this essay to determine how children acquire and then develop language. These theories include behaviourist, nativist, cognitivist and sociocultural. This essay will highlight some similarities and differences in each theory and what impact these have on a child’s acquisition and development of language. Lastly we will look at the implications of these theories when working with children. Can a classroom teacher deliver a quality literacy program based on just one of these theories or does it need to incorporate components of all four? Sims, (2012) pp. 21 states ‘’High-quality learning experiences in the early years of life enhance children’s cognitive and language skills’’. This places a great responsibility on educators and teachers alike to provide an environment which is rich in learning opportunities that will encourage both the acquisition and development of language.
There are three main theories of child language acquisition; Cognitive Theory, Imitation and Positive Reinforcement, and Innateness of Certain Linguistic Features (Linguistics 201). All three theories offer a substantial amount of proof and experiments, but none of them have been proven entirely correct. The search for how children acquire their native language in such a short period of time has been studied for many centuries. In a changing world, it is difficult to pinpoint any definite specifics of language because of the diversity and modification throughout thousands of millions of years.
"The principles and rules of grammar are the means by which the forms of language are made to correspond with the universal froms of thought....The structures of every sentence is a lesson in logic."
Children’s acquisition of language has long been considered one of the uniquely defining characteristics of human behaviour.
Language acquisition is a topic that has generated various theories throughout time. These theories have given us some sort of idea as to how kids can acquire language. Chomsky, for example, has categorized humans as innate, we basically do not learn language through our caregivers (parents, grandparents, day care personnel) but we are born with the capability to utter words and create sentences on our own since birth. The environment we are exposed to, to the input caregivers have in a child’s developmental stage of language, may or may not have an impact in the acquisition. So then, how on Earth does a child acquire language? Let us explore some areas experts have studied children obtaining language at such a young age,
Language is the basis of human communication. It is a cultural and social interaction, and the way language is used is influenced by the circumstances in which it takes place (Emmitt, 2010, p. 49; Green, 2006, p. 2). Children become aware that there are different types of language, including languages used at home, at childcare and at school, as they observe and participate in various language situations (Fellowes & Oakley, 2014, p. 39). Some of these languages may be unfamiliar, and children will need to learn the different roles and uses of language. The different roles of language in a child’s life are, therefore, part of their growing understanding of how to behave in society and in a particular context. As they experience different types and uses of language, children develop an understanding of how to use language appropriately for any given situation.