THEORIES OF LANGUAGE

ACQUISITION
PREPARED BY: OLIVEROS, PAUL WARREN E.
BSED III - ENGLISH
 LESSON OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this lesson, the students will be able to:

• Identify the theories of language acquisition
• Appreciate theories of language acquisition
• Differentiate the innateness and behaviorist theory
INNATENESS THEORY
AVRAM NOAM CHOMSKY
 AVRAM NOAM CHOMSKY

He is an American linguist,
philosopher, cognitive scientist,
historian, social critic, and political
activist. Sometimes called as “Father of
Modern Linguistics.”
 INNATENESS THEORY

• Innateness theory sometimes called as innateness hypothesis

during the process of first language acquisition. The innateness
theory is the theory which was presented by Noam Chomsky. He
presented that in this theory that the children are born with
knowledge of the principles of grammar.
• Infants are born with a language acquisition device.
 INNATENESS THEORY

• He asserted that the process of acquiring language is not based

solely on learning but also dependent on an inborn knowledge of
the fundamental grammar common to all languages.
• A child's brain contains special language-learning mechanisms at
birth.
 INNATENESS

• For Chomsky, the focus of linguistic theory was to characterize the abstract
abilities speakers possess that enable them to produce grammatically correct
sentences in a language.
BEHAVIORIST THEORY
BURRHUS FREDERIC SKINNER
 BURRHUS FREDERIC
SKINNER
He was an American psychologist
and an influential exponent of
behaviorism which views human
behavior in terms of responses to
environmental stimuli.
 BEHAVIORIST THEORY

• The behaviorist theory believes that “infants learn oral language from other
human role models through a process involving imitation, rewards, and
practice.
• Another leading theorist pertaining to language acquisition is B.F. Skinner, a
man who opposes Chomsky's linguistic theory with his behaviorist approach.
 BEHAVIORIST THEORY

• According to Skinner, a child acquires verbal behavior when relatively

unpatterned vocalizations, selectively reinforced gradually assume forms
which produce appropriate consequences in a given verbal community.
COMPARISON OF INNATENESS AND
BEHAVIORIST THEORY
 INNATENESS BEHAVIORIST

Children learned the language by Children learned the language by

application. imitation.

Language learning is rule-based. Language learning is a practice-based.

Learning is determined by the Learning is determined by the

individuals. environment.

Language acquisition is the result of Language acquisition is the result of

nature. nurture.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND GOD
BLESS! 
QUIZ
 IDENTIFICATION

1.He is “Father of Modern Linguistics.”

2.It contains special language-learning mechanisms at birth.
3.He is an influential exponent of behaviorism which views human behavior in terms of
responses to environmental stimuli.
4.This theory believes that “infants learn oral language from other human role models
through a process involving imitation, rewards, and practice.
5.This theory believes that the children are born with knowledge of the principles of
grammar.
 TRUE OR FALSE

6. Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and

historian.
7. According to behaviorist theory, the human mind is a blank slate.
8. B.F. Skinner is a man who opposes Chomsky's linguistic theory with his behaviorist
approach.
9. Innateness theory sometimes called as innateness hypothesis during the process of second
language acquisition.
10. According to innateness theory, the children learned the language by imitation.