Language development: acquisition and theories

Language as a System of Symbolic Communication

Language is the communication of information through symbols that have been organized according to a set of rules that are completely systematic.

All the languages of the world, without exception, have a grammar, which is a system of rules that determines the way in which thoughts can be expressed.

Language is more than just vibrating air; are our spoken, written, or signed words, and the ways we combine them to communicate meaning.

This incredible ability not only allows us to interact in the present, but also connects us in profound ways to our past and future.

The Stages of Language Acquisition

Language development follows a series of predictable stages, beginning with the production of babble sounds, which eventually lead to the production of actual words.

After the age of one, children begin to use two-word combinations, increasing their vocabulary rapidly and significantly.

They also begin to use telegraphic speech, a form of communication in which words that are not critical to conveying the message are omitted.

By age five, the acquisition of the fundamental rules of language is relatively complete for most children.

Acquisition Theories: The Learning

There are several theories that attempt to explain how we acquire this complex skill, and one of the most important is the learning theory, which is behaviorist.

This perspective suggests that language is acquired in the same way as other behaviors, that is, through the principles of reinforcement and conditioning.

From this point of view, children learn to speak because they are rewarded for their approximations to the correct language and because they imitate the adults in their environment.

This theory emphasizes environmental factors and experience as the main drivers of linguistic development, without denying the biological basis.

Acquisition Theories: Nativism and Interaction

In contrast, the nativist approach, proposed by linguist Noam Chomsky, suggests that language is a human trait that is not learned and is separate.

Chomsky theorized that all humans are born with a "device of "innate language acquisition," a predisposition to learn grammatical rules.

This innate universal grammar is what helps explain why preschool-aged children learn language so easily and use grammar so well.

Finally, the interactionist approach argues that language development is the product of a combination of genetically determined predispositions and environmental circumstances.