Theories of Language

Development: How
Languages Came to be,
how Languages are
Acquired?
Dr. Sameena
 Main Theories of Language
Development Takeaways:
• Language development is a slow process that starts
during early childhood.
• The most significant human invention is arguably
language. Acquiring a language requires both social and
psychological factors.
• The nativist linguistic theory postulates that every human
being is born with innate language ability
• Behaviourists suggested that learning a language is like
learning any new skill.
• Although there are several language development theories,
they mostly focus on nature vs. nurture.
 How are the Theories of Language
Development Similar and Different?
• The psychological theories of language
development have one thing in common. And that’s the
focus on how genetics and the environment may have
influenced language development.
• Indeed, researchers believe that language acquisition is
partly inborn and partially learned through interaction.
• However, each language development theory places a
varying degree of importance on nature and nurture.
• For example, BF Skinner’s behaviourist theory
focuses on how the environment influences language
acquisition.
Language development is a learned behaviour, much
like learning a new skill. As babies try to imitate their
parents and adults around them.
• Similarly, Vygotsky’s social interactionist theory
highlights the impact of nurture on language
development, and that language has a social origin.

• To him, social development model, socio-cultural

interactions come first, then cognition and language
development.
• Piaget’s constructivist theory argues that
language is constructed by following
cognitive development.
• In other words, people develop their
language skills and construct overall
knowledge based on their own
experience.
• He defines four stages that cognitive development goes
through:
• Sensorimotor stage: birth to 2 years
• Preoperational stage: 2 to 7 years
• Concrete operational stage: 7 to 11 years
• Formal operational stage: 12 and up
• Piaget’s theory focuses on understanding the nature of
intelligence itself.
• Chomsky’s Nativist Linguistic Theory: Universal
Grammar thinks language is innate, language has a
genetic component to it.
• A human baby’s brain comes to the world pre-
equipped with language-learning systems with
active built-in tool, LAD device.
• The Acculturation Model designed by John H. Schumann
is based on the social-psychology of acculturation.
• Means certain social and psychological variables cluster
into a single variable, acculturation
• Learners will acquire the target language to the degree
they acculturate to the target language group
Acculturation:
• Acculturation means the process by which a human
being acquires the culture of a particular society from
infancy
• There are two types of acculturation –
• 1. Learners are socially integrated with the TL group and
develop sufficient contacts with TL speakers to enable them to
acquire the target language.
• 2. Learners consciously or unconsciously desire to adopt the life
style and values of the TL group.
• Both types of acculturation are important to provoke acquisition of
the TL.
• Social and psychological contact with the target language group is
the essential element in acculturation. Adopting the values and life-
style of the target language group is not necessary .
2 Main Variables
 Criticism of Acculturation Model
• • According to Freeman & Long (1991), Schumann did not specify the
combinations and levels of social and psychological factors to
predict learner’s language outcome.
• It also does not explain how social and psychological factors affect the
rate of acquisition.
• This model does not give statement for the change of the social or
psychological distance over time.
• Does not explain learners current social and psychological distance
and how it collarets to the learner’s proficiency, while learning a L2.
• Does not show how social and psychological factors vary from
individual to individual.
• Kelley (1982) and Stauble (1981) did not find any
relationship between acculturation and proficiency .
• Schumann did not include important personal factors
such as age, family separation, previous educational
experiences, or the traumatic experiences of the
learner. These additional stress factors determine how
well a learner performs in a new social/school
environment.
• Acculturation model is a conceptual
framework which permits the
interpretation and understanding of success
or failure in SLA in various contact
situation. this theory attempts to explain
the relationship between learners’ second
language acquisition and their social and
psychological factors and it helps to prove
the importance of social factors in second
language acquisition.
Can you draw a sketch, diagram, flow
chart or model to show Acculturation
model?
Can you think of more factors?