Generally, in the field of psychology the nature versus nurture debate has been nothing less than

common amongst practicing psychologists and those in academia. In developmental psychology

which Charlesworth (1992) described as 'the most complex phenomenon in the universe’, the
concept of nurture versus nature is of exhaustive importance. In examining the role played by
heredity and the environment in language development it is essential to pay attention to the
nature and nurture debate in order to come up with an in-depth understanding. The purpose of
this essay is to investigate the genetic factors and the essence of environmental factors such as
learning in language development amongst children.

To commence with, it should be noted that the human species amongst all other primates has
evolved to communicate using speech. Given a minimal language environment, (other variables
being constant) almost all humans speak [ CITATION Bla80 \l 1033 ]. If speech does not occur, in
the circumstance of some sort of an aberrant condition - for instance, deafness, or autism, or
symptoms of brain damage. In this broad sense then, language evidently has a hereditary
component; the ability to speak is one hereditarily produced aspect of being a human [ CITATION
Bla80 \l 1033 ]. A classical study of the role of heredity on language development is that of
Lorenz (1981). As an ethologist, Lorenz studied innate behaviors (instincts) that fitted animals
for survival, examining these both in the natural environment and the laboratory. A principally
important ethological concept was that of the critical period (which was later modified to
sensitive period) -a phase early in life when it was critical for certain environmental conditions to
be existent in order to enable an instinct to be properly realized [ CITATION Slu70 \l 1033 ] . This in
children triggers an instinct to want to communicate with the caregiver for survival hence
resulting in language acquisition.

An evident factor which supports the role of heredity and genes in language development is the
effects of Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs). These are mainly influenced by a genetic
disorder for example dyslexia. Dyslexia refers to a specific difficulty in learning to read and
write [ CITATION Woo06 \l 1033 ]. However, dyslexia may manifest in different forms. The
difficulties with written language appear to stalk from more fundamental problems in rapid
processing and sequencing of phonological information (speech sounds) in short-term memory
[ CITATION Mod97 \l 1033 ] . Children with dyslexia also typically have particular difficulties with
learning associations between verbal and visual information, such as the sounds associated with
the letters of the alphabet. While examining the role of genes, twin studies of reading difficulties
suggest that the phonological difficulties associated with dyslexia are strongly genetically
influenced, with the degree of heritability being between 46 and 74 percent [ CITATION Har96 \l
1033 ]. One may note the importance of heredity faculties in the acquisition of language, without
which a child is at risk of diseases such as dyslexia.

Furthermore, from a neurological point of view; children with SpLDs display different
neurological patterns from those of normally developing children [ CITATION Woo06 \l 1033 ].
With that being said, there is proof that the cerebellum may be associated with many forms of
SpLD. The cerebellum is involved in a range of cognitive functions, including language,
memory, attention, visuo-spatial awareness, sensorimotor tasks and emotional functioning.
Research studies into the causes of SpLDs suggest that children with dyslexia and dyspraxia
show signs of abnormal and atypical cerebellar structure and/or functioning compared to that of
control groups [ CITATION Woo06 \l 1033 ]. In a study by Rae et al (2002), results showed that
children with dyslexia exhibited cerebellar symmetry, and that the level of symmetry had a
correlation with phonological decoding ability - that is, participants with more symmetrical
cerebella were worse on a non-word reading task such as word pronunciation. Hence, this is
evidence enough to support the notion that the physiology of the human brain has a positive role
in the acquisition of language in a developing child.

Adding on, infants’ precocious interest in human speech is complemented by some very complex
sensitivities to those features that are used to differentiate particular speech sounds. There has
been a considerable amount of research into the way that infants perceive phonemes, the
individual sounds that make up words [ CITATION Oat05 \l 1033 ] . Research shows that infants
begin to distinguish and to understand their native language before they are able to speak.
Between 4 – 5 months they are able to discriminate their native language from the rest of the
languages. At around 4 ½ months they start to respond to their own names and from 7 ½ months
they start to distinguish between fluent speech and individual words. From 8 months they start to
attach meanings to words [ CITATION Oat05 \l 1033 ]. This progressive development in children
with regards to language shows that with the maturation and brain development comes
refinement in language skills which hence display the nature part of human language
development.
According to Piaget and Inhelder (1966), in the normal child, language appears at about the same
time as the other forms of semiotic thought. In children that are deaf and mute, on the other hand,
eloquent language does not appear until well after deferred imitation, symbolic play, and the
mental image. This seems to indicate that language is derived genetically, since its social or
educational transmission presupposes the preliminary development of these individual forms of
semiosis.

It is also essential to highlight the role played by the environment in the development of
language. Firstly, it should be noted that children do not grow in a vacuum but they develop in an
environment that enables them to learn. Of the lessons that can be learnt from the surroundings,
language is also one of them. Language can be learnt through conditioning. An infant can be
conditioned to the point where it knows that certain words are followed by specific responses
and rewards from the environment. This is called operant conditioning which is the brainchild of
B.F Skinner. A key term relevant to operant conditioning is consequences. In the humblest terms,
the consequences that preceed a response may either increase or decrease the probability of
further responses. If the consequence to a response yields a repetition of the response or an
increase in the frequency of responding, the consequence is described as reinforcing or
rewarding [ CITATION Sle03 \l 1033 ] . For example, an infant may be given water to drink after
saying the word water. Water in this picture is the reward and the saying of the word is the
behavior.

Adding on, according to Watson, one of the most prominent in the history of psychology; the
only inherited features of behavior were simple physiological reflexes (such as the knee-jerk
reflex). Watson credited all else to learning [ CITATION Sle03 \l 1033 ], in the same backdrop,
infants learn through vicarious learning, which is learning by or through observation or by
imitation. Bandura (1970) and Walters (1963) developed a comprehensive theory to explain
learning in terms of imitation. They maintain that not all learning can be accounted for using
justifications derived from classical and operant conditioning. Their research has called attention
to the significance of imitation and role models in learning and language acquisition. In
Bandura's theory, psychological development is neither driven by inner forces nor shaped by
external stimuli. Rather, symbolic, vicarious and self-regulatory processes play a significant role
[ CITATION Sle03 \l 1033 ] . As words are being spoken in their presence, infants absorb words and
phrases into their vocabulary hence it is important to note that the environment plays an essential
role in the development of language.

As rehearsed above, language development is influenced by an interaction between heredity and

the environment. Both have a critical role in enhancing language skills in an infant. According to
Vygotsky, development occurs as a result of a tension and interaction between internal and
external influences. For Vygotsky, the child's language development is paramount, and he made
the distinction between thought and speech development in the first two years of life [ CITATION
Sle03 \l 1033 ]. He argued that the onset of this stage is indicated by two unmistakable objective
symptoms: a sudden active curiosity about words, and questions about every new thing; and the
resulting rapid increase in the child's vocabulary. As the brain of the infant develops, the
environment in which the child grown in is also critical in development of language. Vygotsky
further iterates that the social environment produces cultural 'tools' consisting of sign systems
such as language, writing, numerical systems and art. Through social interactions, these sign
systems mediate between the culture and the developing individual, becoming incorporated into
individual mental functioning [ CITATION Sle03 \l 1033 ].

In conclusion, the essay has examined the roles played by heredity and the environment in the
development of language. In terms of heredity, it has been investigated that the cerebellum is
responsible for most of phonological and linguistic tasks. It has also been observed that there are
genes responsible for the facilitation of language acquisition and that some of the learning
difficulties are inheritable. As touching environmental contributions to language development it
has been noted that children acquire language through the principle of learning and that they
learn by conditioning or by imitation.
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