Theories of Language Acquisition
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It would appear that language acquisition is linked to physical growth and social factors.

The Behaviourist Approach

• Children learn to speak by imitation.
• Parents then reinforce or correct their speech.

Children don’t imitate perfectly they may say words similar to what they hear around them.

They over-extend language patterns they already know;

Past tense

Steal > stealed > instead of stole

  Drive  > drived > instead of drove

This is not imitation as adults do not use these words

The Cognitive Approach

• Children can only use certain linguistic structures when they understand fully the concepts surrounding them
• Jean Piaget linked language acquisition to child’s maturation, to use lingustic structures they must understand the concept.  A child can not use comparison of size if the child does not understand the concept of size

Other Notes in this Category

1. Abnormal Behaviour
2. Behavourism and Learning
3. Intrapersonal Communication
4. Perception
5. Rational Emotive Theory
6. Stages of Language Acquisition
7. Studies into Memory
8. Theories of Language Acquisition

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