5 Theoretical Perspectives

5 Theoretical Perspectives

1. Behaviorist emphasizes the role of nurture and considers learning to occur based on the stimuli responses, and reinforcements that occur in the environment considers child to be a "blank slate" DOES NOT explain how some words and phrases are learned such as made up words Imitative Speech: involves the production of speech that approximates the speech of another person Operant Conditioning: Attention, Repetition, and Approval IMPLICATIONS: focus on stimuli and reinforcements that children experience in regard to language use focus on repetition, imitation, and positive reinforcement.  Teacher enthusiasm SKINNER - NURTURE

2. Nativist emphasizes inborn or innate human capabilities as being responsible for language development (nature) language is a biological adaptation to communicate information Children are active participants in their language development (hypothesis testing--> discovery process) Universal Grammar- the system of principles, conditions, and rules that are elements or properties of all human languages. (LAD) Language Acquisition Device- enables children to process and acquire language through innate knowledge of grammatical classes, underlying deep structure, and ways in which language can be manipulated.  IMPLICATIONS: Use a curriculum that will provide many opportunities for children to explore language and use hypothesis testing to activate LAD a wide range of children's literature should be read opportunities given to draw and write to express their ideas of how writing works.  CHOMSKY AND PINKER- NATURE 

3. Cognitive Developmental   No unique learning mechanism, cognitive growth must occur for language to develop Sensorimotor stage: prelingusitc. childrens understanding of the environment only comes from heir sensory and movement (direct and motor) activities. Object permanence: an awareness that an object continues to exist even when it is out of sight Preoperational Stage: begin to represent the world with words, images, and drawings. Language appears when children's cognitive growth reaches a point where they use and manipulate symbols.  IMPLICATIONS:   a curriculum that recognizes the importance of the development of specific cognitive mechanisms as precursors to the onset of language such as object permanence many opportunities for symbol making and manipulation  children given activities that encourage them to represent their world through speaking, drawing, and writing. JEAN PIAGET- NATURE 

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