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Child Acquisition Theorists (Speech) - Coggle Diagram
Child Acquisition Theorists (Speech)
Skinner and Behaviourism
Claims that children are born as a 'blank slate' and learn language through positive and negative reinforcement
eg. the caregiver responds with 'yes that's the dog' to a correct utterance spoken by the child
eg. eg. the caregiver responds with 'no, that's not a cat, it's a dog' to an incorrect utterance spoken by the child (tone of voice will often assist with this)
Positive should encourage same use of language and Negative should minimise the non-standard words they say
Evaluation
Argue against Nativism to support theory (if relevant in text)
If the child has the capability to use language how adults do (knowledge from LAD) they would already say the word correctly first time and needed no shaping from the caregiver
✓ Positive reinforcement should increase the likelihood of the child repeating the language and would be standardly correct
Look out for in an exam
Caregivers repeating and reinforcing utterances made by the child
Chomsky and Nativism
Evaluation
X Plays down / did not acknowledge the importance of social interaction
lacking importance of caregivers meaning it is difficult to evaluate the LAD alone on acquisition as it is always accompanied by support from a caregiver
X limited in scientific evidence, questioning its validity
✓ Berko (1958) WUG Test = showed that children can apply grammar rules to a new unfamiliar noun (supports the LAD)
X 76% correctly using the -s ending for plural of 'wug', if everyone is born with LAD, then it should be 100%
Often dismissed by critics because it is based on hypothetical thinking rather than real life children
Suggests that everyone is born with an innate ability to understand the rules of language
LAD (Language Acquisition Device)
Generally switches off at 7
Virtuous errors = mistakes as a result of applying the known rule to an irregular word (eg. drinked instead of drank)
Piaget and Cognitivism
Claims that a child needs to have developed certain mental abilities before acquiring particular aspects of language
Discusses how a child's mental ability and intellectual development increases from maturing physically and from experiencing a range of experiences
Understanding object permanence
Evaluation
X Much conflicting evidence of research into cognition and therefore questions the validity of the theory
Halliday
Interactional
Interact with others and form relationships
Imaginative
Language to be imaginative
Regulatory
To get people to do something
Heuristic
Explore the world and environment that surrounds the child
Personal
Explore feelings and identity
Representational
Used for facts
Instrumental
Primary needs and wants
Jean Aitchson stages of lexical development (1987)
2.) Packing = exploring the extent of the label resulting in under/over extentions
3.) Network Building = making connections between words, understanding synonyms and opposites
1.) Labelling = linking sounds and words with objects around them
Social Interactionism
Bruner
believes that a child must interact with caregivers and peers in order to learn how to use language
learn language through their LASS (Language Acquisition Support System)
Caregivers give input (scaffolding) for development in social situations = encourage talking back, turn taking, asking questions and helping them play
John Snarey (If the text is about a boy and dad)
‘roughhousing’ with the father teaches that biting, kicking and other forms of violence are unacceptable and how to gain self-control.
Fathers interact with their children in different ways to the way their mothers do, key point is less simplification of speech
CDS (Child Directed Speech) = the way caregivers, adults and older children speak to younger children
Features include:
• Syllable reduplication (yum yum)
• Diminutive endings (doggie)
• Refer to themselves in 3rd person
• Talk much slower with longer pauses
• Limited to present tense
• Recasting and expansions
Features help communicate effectively and in a simple form so children can understand and then develop into adult speech