What is Piagets theory of language acquisition?

Humans, especially children, have an amazing capability to learn language, and several theories exist to explain language development.

• Differentiate among the major theories of human language acquisition

• • B. F. Skinner believed children learn language through operant conditioning—that children receive "rewards" for using language in a functional manner.
  • Noam Chomsky's theory states that children have the innate biological ability to learn language; however, his theory has not been supported by genetic or neurological studies.
  • Jean Piaget's theory of language development suggests that children use both assimilation and accommodation to learn language.
  • Lev Vygotsky's theory of language development focused on social learning and the zone of proximal development (ZPD).
  • Several areas of the brain must function together in order for a person to develop, utilize, and understand language, including Broca's area, Wernicke's area, the primary auditory cortex, and the angular gyrus.
  • Damage to any of the areas of the brain involved in language development, such as through illness or stroke, can result in problems with language and comprehension.

Humans, especially children, have an amazing ability to learn language. Within the first year of life, children will have learned many of the necessary concepts to have functional language, although it will still take years for their capabilities to develop fully. Some people learn two or more languages fluently over their lives (often starting from childhood); these people are bilingual or multilingual. Multiple theories have been proposed to explain the development of language, and related brain structures,  in children. B. F. Skinner believed that children learn language through operant conditioning; in other words, children receive "rewards" for using language in a functional manner. For example, a child learns to say the word "drink" when she is thirsty; she receives something to drink, which reinforces her use of the word for getting a drink, and thus she will continue to do so. This follows the four-term contingency that Skinner believed was the basis of language development—motivating operations, discriminative stimuli, response, and reinforcing stimuli. Skinner also suggested that children learn language through imitation of others, prompting, and shaping. Noam Chomsky's work discusses the biological basis for language and claims that children have innate abilities to learn language. Chomsky terms this innate ability the "language acquisition device." He believes children instinctively learn language without any formal instruction. He also believes children have a natural need to use language, and that in the absence of formal language children will develop a system of communication to meet their needs. He has observed that all children make the same type of language errors, regardless of the language they are taught. Chomsky also believes in the existence of a "universal grammar," which posits that there are certain grammatical rules all human languages share. However, his research does not identify areas of the brain or a genetic basis that enables humans' innate ability for language. Jean Piaget's theory of language development suggests that children use both assimilation and accommodation to learn language. Assimilation is the process of changing one's environment to place information into an already-existing schema (or idea). Accommodation is the process of changing one's schema to adapt to the new environment. Piaget believed children need to first develop mentally before language acquisition can occur. According to him, children first create mental structures within the mind (schemas) and from these schemas, language development happens. Lev Vygotsky's theory of language development focused on social learning and the zone of proximal development (ZPD). The ZPD is a level of development obtained when children engage in social interactions with others; it is the distance between a child's potential to learn and the actual learning that takes place. Vygotsky's theory also demonstrated that Piaget underestimated the importance of social interactions in the development of language. Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories are often compared with each other, and both have been used successfully in the field of education. The following timeline gives an overview of the ages at which children generally acquire language:

• 4–6 months: Babbling using all sounds.
• 6–9 months: Babbling becomes more focused—narrowing of sounds.
• 10–12 months: First words develop.
• 18–24 months: Children begin using two-word phrases (example: "Me up" or "Get milk").
• 2–3 years: Children begin using three-word phrases in correct order with inflection.
• 4–5 years: Children start speaking with nearly complete syntax.
• 5–7 years: Children begin using and understanding more complex language.
• 9 years and older: Children understand almost all forms of language.

CC licensed content, Shared previously

DEFINITION OF LANGUAGE Language is a part of our everyday lives, and we can describe the meaning of language in many ways. As suggested in Gee and Hayes (2011, p.6 ) people can view language as something in our minds or something existing in our world in the form of speech, audio recordings, and writings or we can view language as a way of communicating with a group of people. Language can be used to express our emotions, make sense of our mental and abstract thoughts and assists us in communicating with others around us. Language is of vital importance for children to enable them to succeed in school and everyday life. Everyone uses both oral and written language. Language developed as a common ability amongst human beings with the change…show more content…
Piaget believes functions of language develops over four stages which are, the sensorimotor stage, the preoperational stage, the concrete operational stage, and the formal operational stage. To briefly explain each of these children develop the sensorimotor stage from ages 0 – 2 years, Piaget sees language at this stage as more physical where children experiment with their mouths and learn to repeat parents sounds. The pre-operational stage from ages 2 – 7 years, is when children talk more and have the ability to solve problems about stories on specific and concrete facts. The concrete operational stage begins at about age 6 or 7 when children can work things out in their mind and explain their reasoning. The formal operational stage begins at 11 or 12 years when children use abstract reason and can use language to express and discuss things found in subjects such as mathematics or philosophy. Piaget highlights the roles of language in children’s lives by describing the functions of language. (McDevitt, Ormrod, Cupit, Chandler and Aloa, 2013, p. 209 –…show more content…
We use language in a variety of ways, for example, to tell people how we feel, to talk about things that we like and to be able to question and understand the world around us. As well as giving children a sense of identity. Language can be diverse and standard, for example, language can be diverse amongst cultures with different English accents and language can be standard when the majority of people in a country speak a variety of English. Language can be seen through reading and heard through oral language. Halliday and Piaget 's functions on language indicated the important roles of language in children’s lives. Language has been outlined in this essay to play a major role in children’s lives. Most importantly it gives children the skills to learn to communicate and exchange information with others around

Humans, especially children, have an amazing capability to learn a language, and several theories exist to explain language development.

Theories of Language Development

Humans, especially children, have an amazing ability to learn a language. Within the first year of life, children will have learned many of the necessary concepts to have functional language, although it will still take years for their capabilities to develop fully. Some people learn two or more languages fluently over their lives (often starting from childhood); these people are bilingual or multilingual. Multiple theories have been proposed to explain the development of language, and related brain structures, in children.

Chomsky: Nativisim and Language Acquisition Device

This theory posits that infants teach themselves and that language learning is genetically programmed. The view is known as nativism and was advocated by Noam Chomsky, who suggested that infants are equipped with a neurological construct referred to as the language acquisition device (LAD), which makes infants ready for language. The LAD allows children, as their brains develop, to derive the rules of grammar quickly and effectively from the speech they hear every day. Therefore, language develops as long as the infant is exposed to it. No teaching, training, or reinforcement is required for language to develop. Instead, language learning comes from a particular gene, brain maturation, and the overall human impulse to imitate.

Piaget: Assimilation and Accommodation

Jean Piaget’s theory of language development suggests that children use both assimilation and accommodation to learn a language. Assimilation is the process of changing one’s environment to place information into an already-existing schema (or idea). Accommodation is the process of changing one’s schema to adapt to the new environment. Piaget believed children need to first develop mentally before language acquisition can occur. According to him, children first create mental structures within the mind (schemas) and from these schemas, language development happens.

Interactionist theory

Interactionist theory has its basis in social interaction theory and posits that language is acquired and perfects through interactions with more experienced linguistic figures. For example, a child speaking to an adult, through this process they learn to improve their development

Practice Questions

Khan Academy

Theories of language acquisition

Tickle me Nim. Do primates speak language?

Counting systems and the Pirahã tribe

MCAT Official Prep (AAMC)

Key Points

• Noam Chomsky’s nativist theory states that children have the innate biological ability to learn a language; however, his theory has not been supported by genetic or neurological studies.

• Jean Piaget’s theory of language development suggests that children use both assimilation and accommodation to learn a language.

• Interactionist theory has its basis in social interaction theory and posits that language is acquired and perfects through interactions with more experienced linguistic figures.

Key Terms

assimilation: the absorption of new ideas into an existing cognitive structure

accommodation: the act of fitting or adapting, or the state of being fitted or adapted; adaptation; adjustment

social Interaction: a social exchange between two or more individuals

nativism: a biologically based theory, which argues that humans are pre-programmed with the innate ability to develop language

language acquisition device: an instinctive mental capacity which enables an infant to acquire and produce language