Ximena Juarez

2nd semester
May 13, 2017

L1 acquisition theories

Behaviorism’s main researchers were John B. Watson, and B. F. Skinner (Baum, 2005), Ivan

Pavlov and Edward Thorndike (Kendra, 2017). This theory maintains that the behavior which is

reinforced, tends to be repeated and the one that is not gets extinguished. Skinner believed that

all the behavior starts with a stimulus (this can come directly from the environment), next the

individual might response and finally the behavior receives a reinforcement. Reinforcement can

be positive (reward) or negative (punishment). (McLeod, 2015)

One example where this theory can be found in L1 acquisition, is when parents have a child and

they start talking to him. The baby will respond with his first attempts of speaking, with the

positive reinforcement (attention, smiling faces, hugs and affection) from the parents, the child

will try and try until this process is completed.

Behaviorism has some disadvantages like: it is a one-dimensional approach to understanding

human behavior and that behavioral theories do not account for free will and internal influences

such as moods, thoughts and feelings, also, it does not account for other types of learning,

especially learning that occurs without the use of reinforcement and punishment. Finally, and

most important, people and animals are able to adapt their behavior when new information is

introduced (Kendra, 2017)

In my opinion, even though this theory can be really useful for L1 acquisition and most of the

time parents come to teach this way in a child’s first years of life, they reinforce a baby’s way of

speaking with positive reinforcement acts like affection or attention I do not really think that is

the proper way to teach a kid. Negative reinforcement can harm children’s security while

speaking. Getting scared every time they talk.

Ximena Juarez
2nd semester
May 13, 2017

Innatism main researchers were Leibniz, Skinner and, Chomsky was the one who developed this

theory completely. This theory states that children born with a knowledge of universal grammar

or as Krashen would call it Language Acquisition Device (LAD) that gives them access to

universal principles of language. According to this theory, babies born with some knowledge and

that knowledge let them learn a new language. It also states that children can learn a complex

language with the minimal input. (Appleton, 2015).

An example that can be found in L1 acquisition is that as every individual have this “language

acquisition device” from just a minimal input or contact with other people, a child can be able to

learn even the most complex language.

In my opinion, this is one of the theories that I trust the least in, I just cannot believe that there is

something magical in our brain that help us learn a complex language without input or

interaction with some other people

Ximena Juarez
2nd semester
May 13, 2017

Critical Period Hypothesis was first proposed by Lenneberg, but Scovel (1969), Chomsky and

Krashen also made some contributions to this theory. This hypothesis maintains that first

language acquisition must occur during a period of time, from birthday to puberty. If L1

acquisition do not occur in this time, the individual will not be able to acquire any language and

even if the person can acquire it, the structure (grammar) of this will be different. There have

been some successful examples about this. Like Genie, a girl who was Isolated until the age of

13. She was able to acquire language, but in a very slow way. Her language acquisition process

continued improving after several years after puberty. (Snow & Hoefnagel-Höhle, 1978).

Even though this hypothesis has been used for many studies, some researchers say that there is

not enough evidence to prove that cases like Genie’s were real. This has cast into question if any

of the children were pretending with their mental health and abilities.

In my opinion, there is not enough evidence that proves that this theory is real. And if

researchers did some experiments to prove it, for example in L1 acquisition, it would be non-

ethical for the being that would be isolated. So, if we take that into consideration, it is not

possible.
Ximena Juarez
2nd semester
May 13, 2017

Interactionist is a theory developed by Lev Vygotsky, in 1962. This theory states that social

interaction plays a significant role in people’s cognitive development. Vygotsky believed that

social interaction precedes it, and that our cultural advance comes first in the society level and

then, on the individual level. According to Vygotsky, there is a “More Knowledgeable Other

(MKO)”, this is a person who is more capable (has a better understanding, more ability) than the

learner. Most of the time, this person is a teacher, a coach, or an older adult. But it can also

appear between the peers, younger people and computers.

(J. L. 2014)

A good example for this theory in L1 acquisition is: Before an infant start producing words, they

will only listen to older people talking for about a year, when this child start talking, the parents

will start doing corrections like «Se dice “el carro” no “la carro” ». The individual creates a sense

of correctness.

A disadvantage from this theory might be that children from cultures that don't promote

interaction still have children who become articulate and fluent in language.

In my opinion, this theory is the one that I believed the most in, I think that this is the more

accurate one, since it states that we learn from our environment. This is the most real one since it

does not state that there is something magical in our brains that let us learn language, but that we

learn from the people around us. And it might not be from someone older, but from someone

younger or even from something.

Ximena Juarez
2nd semester
May 13, 2017

Sociocultural Theory’s main researcher is Lev Vygotsky and Jean Piaget. In this theory,

Vygotsky describes the learning as a process of the human intelligence in society or culture.

According to Vygotsky, a child already has some innate biological characteristics of his brain.

Society and culture only provides him "tools for intellectual adaptations".

He believed that everything that is learned comes in two levels.

1.- Through the interaction with other people and cultures

2.- that knowledge integrated into the individual’s mental structure.Additionally, Vygotsky also

believed in the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), this represents the distance between the

learner’s ability to complete a task under adult guidance, peer collaboration (team work) and the

student’s ability to complete a task independently. This is where Vygotsky thought learning takes

place. (J. L. 2014)

L1 example, one culture teaches children to play with toys, while the other encourages them to

play outdoors. Children from both cultures adapt to what their cultures teach them. If a culture

encourages talking, they will learn to do so. If a culture requires children to learn two languages

at the same time, they will learn both. Some criticism that has received this theory is that is

assumed to be applicable to all cultures, but it might not be possible in some. The theory is

refuted as being universal and also, Skills are not learned through verbal instructions but by

observation and practice. (Mishra, 2017)

In my opinion, this theory cannot be applicated in every culture, since the diversity is so big, that

we do not have kind of a standardized way of speaking.

Indeed, it is very interesting but not real.

Ximena Juarez
2nd semester
May 13, 2017

References

Appleton, J. (2015) Innatism, ESL glossary. retrieved from

http://bogglesworldesl.com/glossary/innatism.htm

Baum, W. M. (2005) Front Matter, in Understanding behaviorism: Behavior, culture, and

evolution (pp. 1-19). Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

J., L. (2014) "Social development theory (Vygotsky)," in Learning Theories,

https://www.learning-theories.com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory.html.

Kendra, Cherry. (2017) Learning study guide: Behaviorism. Retrived from

http://psychology.about.com/od/psychologystudyguides/a/learning_sg.htm

McLeod, S. A. (2015). Skinner - Operant conditioning. Retrieved from

www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html

Mishra, S. (2017) Sociocultural Theory, Bussinesstopia. Retrieved from:

https://www.businesstopia.net/communication/sociocultural-theory

Snow, C., & Hoefnagel-Hohle, M. (1978). The critical period for language acquisition: evidence

from second language learning. Child Development, 49(4), 1114.

http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1128751