Nature vs. Nurture
Whether language ability is inherited (nature) or learned through experience (nurture).
What is the main question regarding language acquisition in the nature vs. nurture debate?
Noam Chomsky
Who is the most recognized linguist associated with the Nativist Theory?
Language is learned through imitation and reinforcement, not an innate ability.
What does the Behaviorist Theory suggest about language development?
Jean Piaget.
Whose work is central to the Cognitive Theory of language development?
Language development results from social interactions with people.
What is the primary focus of the Social Interactionist Theory?
Both biological (nature) and environmental (nurture) factors contribute to language development.
What role do both nature and nurture play in language development?
Language development is innate and biologically based.
What does the Nativist Theory claim about language development?
B.F. Skinner.
Who is the most famous proponent of the Behaviorist Theory?
Cognitive development supports language acquisition; language emerges as cognitive abilities grow.
According to Piaget, what is the relationship between cognition and language?
By responding to children’s attempts to communicate with appropriate language.
How do parents contribute to language development in the Social Interactionist Theory?
Before 1960, language was thought to be learned; after, there was a debate between nature and nurture.
How did beliefs about language development change after 1960?
The Language Acquisition Device (LAD).
What is the name of the device Chomsky proposed for language acquisition?
Through imitation, reinforcement, and successive approximations of adult behavior.
According to the Behaviorist Theory, how do children learn language?
It is a critical period when children begin to develop the cognitive prerequisites for language.
What is the significance of Piaget’s sensorimotor stage for language development?
A speech pattern where caregivers use short, simple sentences and repeat utterances to aid language development.
What is "Parentese" or "Motherese"?
Whether an artist's talent is inherited or shaped by practice.
What example illustrates the balance of nature and nurture in talent development?
Because children are born with the ability to learn language with minimal environmental input.
According to Nativist Theory, why does language development occur so quickly in children?
A parent says "Mama," and when the child repeats it, the parent reinforces by saying, "Yes, Mama!"
What is an example of operant conditioning in language development?
Object permanence—the understanding that objects continue to exist even when not seen.
What key ability is developed during Piaget's sensorimotor stage?
Children learn language by imitating the social interactions and language patterns they observe.
What is the role of imitation in the Social Interactionist Theory?
It considers whether language is genetically predisposed or taught by those in the environment.
How does the nature vs. nurture debate apply to teaching language?
It helps children generate grammar from syntactic models in their environment.
What is the primary function of the LAD according to Chomsky?
Children often produce sentences they have never heard before, indicating they aren’t just imitating.
What is a major criticism of the Behaviorist Theory?
It is difficult to trace clear links between language and cognitive development beyond 18 months.
What is one criticism of Piaget’s Cognitive Theory in relation to language development?
It acknowledges both innate abilities and the role of social interactions in language development.
How does the Social Interactionist Theory bridge the nature vs. nurture debate?