How Children Learn Language - 1986 Words

HOW CHILDREN LEARN LANGUAGE By : Ahmadrawi The writer can be contacted at: scholars.assist@gmail.com 1. OVERVIEW The exact way in which millions of developing children get to the point where they can produce and understand millions of words and make sentences out of it is the subject of a heated debate in the psycholinguistic field. According to Saxton (2010,p.18), the study on how children learn language can be traced back to the German biologist, Tiedermann, in 1787. However, up until the late 1950’s, it is generally agreed that approach to child language research is at best haphazardly organized. Research for example was often limited to a generally informal observations (for example research done by Lukens,1894) or diary†¦show more content†¦This time, the rat only received food if it pressed the bar a certain number of times. After initial confusion, it learned to do this also (Aitchison,2008,pp.8-9). This type of learning is called operant conditioning by Skinner which can be translated as training by means of voluntary responses (the word ‘operant’ means a vo luntary response rather than an automatic one) and Skinner suggested that a vast majority of human learning take place via this mode, including learning of language(,Aitchison,2008,p.9). In his book Verbal Behaviour, Skinner argued that child efforts to speak are rewarded by parents. Each time the child produces an utterances that comes close to sounding like an acceptable word or sentence, the parent offers a reward in the form of praise or encouragement. As this conditioning goes on, the closer the child gets to the adult model of utterance the more parental rewards that he/she gets. Thus, the operant conditioning relies on the learner producing a linguistic behaviour that is progressively shaped through rewards, until the desired behaviour is achieved (Saxton,2010,p.90). Skinner’s explanation of language acquisition soon inspired a critique and rival explanation from Noam Chomsky. Chomsky argued in some detail that mechanisms such as stimulus, response and reinforcement wh ich are favoured by the behaviourists are not sufficient to explain verbal bahaviour. In this regard, Chomsky pivotalShow MoreRelatedHow Children Learn Language749 Words   |  3 Pagespast or we observer from what other have done. This paper is about applying the knowledge and application to long-term memories, classical conditioning, positive reinforcement and child learn language. Long-term memories are files that are stored in the folder area of our brains. We use these memories to learn from them, so we can safeguard against things that are similar to these experiences we had in the pasted. Every day that goes by each one of us is going to be learning something new in thisRead MoreHow Children Learn Language Essay1075 Words   |  5 PagesHow Children Learn Language Language, the largest and most common way we communicate in this world. It could be Spanish, English, Chinese or Japanese; we learn and use it in our everyday life. It is not genetically encoded in our brain to speak yet, we are able to start speaking or using a language. Children are born with no knowledge of the world. Children are able to learn language through interactions brain development and part of human development. Their brain develops everyday; helping themRead MoreHow Do Small Children Learn Their First Language?1216 Words   |  5 PagesHow do small children learn their first language? Discuss some environmental factors and internal factors involved in language acquisition. â€Å"Children are extremely perceptive and absorb what goes on around them long before they can talk or even comprehend the language†. -Theodore Isaac Rubin, psychiatrist and author. But, have you ever thought about how children learn their first language. Do they certainly learn by absorbin g what they hear around them or is there more to that? Maybe we do not giveRead MoreHow Teachers Can Help Children Learn a Second Language Effectively by the Teaching Satrategies They Use in Class2209 Words   |  9 PagesINSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE FORMACIÓN DOCENTE Y TECNICA N º 55 PROFESORADO DE INGLES ENGLISH AND ITS TEACHING III Academic Paper HOW TEACHERS CAN HELP CHILDREN LEARN A SECOND LANGUAGE EFFECTIVELY BY THE TEACHING SATRATEGIES THEY USE IN CLASS Student: MONTANARI, JIMENA TEACHER: PROF. SARA RACKER 2010 Abstract Play, imagination and literature are considered essential for children’s whole development. Research shows that they are concerned with the development of abstract thought and creative use of knowledgeRead MoreThe Behaviorist Theory And The Nativist Theory963 Words   |  4 PagesLearning a language is very important in the human life, without some type of language humans would not be able to survive in this world. Language is something that humans use in a daily life. It is what they use to get what they want, to fight for what they believe, to resolve a conflict; language is important. The way that someone may learn a language is just as important as knowing a language. The way someone may learn a language is important because the way they learned it may affect the wayRead MoreDo Children Need To Acquire A Second Language? Do Children1733 Words   |  7 PagesDo children need to acquire a second language? Do children need to learn? It is true that learning another language takes time and dedications. Also, people may think that learning a foreign language leads to confusion and especially for children. Parents start being afraid that their children’s brains will get affected by learning another language, and they think that their brains will grow slowly by attempting to acquire a different language. However, being bilingual is helpful to improve the listeningRead MoreLearning A Second Language At A Young Age1243 Words   |  5 Pagesable to fluently speak two languages is a very demanding and competitive skill. The capability to articulate thoughts to people who may not speak the same primary language as you is very profitable not only in the work force, but also in everyday life. Learning a second language also helps to shorten cultural gaps between different countries. With the seemingly increased importance in learning a second language, schools nationwide have implemented learning a foreign language as a requirement, for graduationRead Mo reHow Human Beings Learn Languages1562 Words   |  7 PagesHow human beings learn languages is one of the most interesting processes that have been discussed by several scholars. The process through which human beings learn language is known as language acquisition, and it is a process that begins from the infancy stage. Different studies have been completed to highlight the process that human beings undergo to acquire language, specifically those who learn more than one language. These are the studies that this paper will analyze using the two articlesRead MoreLanguage Acquisition : Study Of How Humans Acquire A Set Of Semantic, Syntactic And Phonological Categories Essay1625 Words   |  7 PagesLanguage Acquisition Language acquisition is the study of how humans acquire a set of semantic, syntactic, morphological and phonological categories and rules that underlie their ability to speak and understand the language to which they are exposed. (Parker and Riley, 2005) Language is an understanding that truly makes us human. Yes, other species do communicate with an innate ability to produce a limited number of meaningful words, but there is no other species that can express sentences withRead MoreHuman Language Is A Wonderful Way With Communicate1420 Words   |  6 PagesHuman language is a wonderful way to communicate. Sometimes I think what this world would be like with any languages. It is even more wonderful that in three fast short years a child can hear, mimic, explore, practice, and, learn language. There is no genetic thing that leads a child to speak English or Spanish or any other language. Language is something person has be to learned. We are born with the capacity to make 40 sounds and our genetics allows our brain to make differences between sounds