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Behaviorist hypothesize, for language acquisition, children learn their first language through stimulus, response, and reinforcement. The behaviorist approach places primary weight on children imitating what they have heard and has been proven the least adequate for explaining observed facts in child language development.

Second Language Acquisition
Behaviorist theories of language have influenced second language teaching in a number of ways that persist today. One method is the audiolingual method in which tape-recorded dialogues are presented for students to memorize, followed by pattern drills for practicing verb forms and sentence structures. For behaviorists, the process involved in second or foreign language learning consisted of imitation, repetition, and reinforcement of grammatical structures.

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Chomsky, after considering the complex intricacies of children's development of grammar, concluded that language acquisition could only be accounted for by an innate and biological language acquisition device (LAD) or system. From the innatist perspective, children construct grammar through a process of hypothesis testing.

Second Language Acquisition
Just as Chomsky's theories inspired psycholinguists to record and describe the developing grammars of young first language learners, they also influenced research on second language acquisition. One theory put forth was the creative construction theory. The authors of this theory proposed that English learners creatively construct the rules of the second language in a manner similar to that observed in first language acquisition.

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According to the interactionist position, caregivers play a critical role in adjusting language to facilitate the use of innate capacities for language acquisition. Thus, the interactionist view takes into consideration the importance of both nature and nurture in the language acquisition process. The interactionist perspective acknowledges both the child's role and that of the caregivers in the social environment, emphasizing the importance of social interactions aimed at communication as the essential ingredient in language acquisition.

Second Language Acquisition
Interactionists view the communicative give-and-take of natural conversations between native and non-native speakers as the crucial element of the language acquisition process. They focus on the ways in which native speakers modify their speech to try and make themselves understood by English-learning conversational partners.

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"Specifically, Chomsky claimed that infants universally possess an innate "grammar template," or universal grammar, which will allow them to select the many grammatical rules of the language they hear spoken around them, as they gradually construct the grammar of their mother tongue." (p.61)

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"Behaviorists assumed that the child's mind was a tabula rasa, a blank state awaiting the scripture of experience." (p.61)

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"Caregivers generally facilitate children's vocabulary development, their ability to use language appropriately in social situations, and their ability to get things done through language." (p.63)

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Key Concepts

Behaviorism is a worldview that assumes a learner is essentially passive, responding to environmental stimuli. The learner starts off as a clean slate (i.e. tabula rasa) and behavior is shaped through positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement[2]. Both positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement increase the probability that the antecedent behavior will happen again. In contrast, punishment (both positive and negative) decreases the likelihood that the antecedent behavior will happen again. Positive indicates the application of a stimulus; Negative indicates the withholding of a stimulus. Learning is therefore defined as a change in behavior in the learner. Lots of (early) behaviorist work was done with animals (e.g. Pavlov's dogs) and generalized to humans[3].

Behaviorism precedes the cognitivist worldview. It rejects structuralism and is an extension of Logical Positivism.

Radical behaviorism

Developed by BF Skinner, Radical Behaviorism describes a particular school that emerged during the reign of behaviorism. It is distinct from other schools of behaviorism, with major differences in the acceptance of mediating structures, the role of emotions, etc.

Additional Resources and References

Resources

References

1. Skinner, B. F. (2011). About behaviorism. Vintage.

2. Watson, J. B. (2013). Behaviorism. Read Books Ltd.

3. Pavlov, I. P., & Anrep, G. V. (2003). Conditioned reflexes. Courier Corporation.

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Behaviorism is a worldview that operates on a principle of "stimulus-response." All behavior caused by external stimuli (operant conditioning). All behavior

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Linguistic/Innatist Theory - Language Acquisition & Development

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The interactionist perspective theory is an explanation used by sociologists to explain how everyday interactions contribute to someone's identity. The theory is not limited to personal interactions, but also includes how symbols play into it.

What Is Interactionist Perspective Theory? There are three types of theoretical perspectives used by sociologists: symbolic interactionist, functionalist perspective and conflict perspective. These are theoretical ways that are used to explain how society influences people.

George Herbert Meade is considered the founder of the interactionist perspective theory and believes individuals and societies function in a way that is reflective of interactions with others and symbols. Rather than historical movements, it is conversations, actions and reactions that happen face to face that mold each person. These interactions also determine how some actions may be perceived as either negative or positive. Symbolic interaction theory is a similar idea except it focuses on how certain images become symbolic and are used to communicate specific ideas.

Example of Interactionist Perspective Theory A good example of this theory that everyone experiences on a daily basis is responding to gender. Someone who checks all the boxes for what is considered to be a man will elicit certain interactions that are considered appropriate for men. There are particular topics that one may be more willing to have conversations on that would not be as prominent for women. This is even more evident when it is two people belonging to the same gender. Two women may be more inclined to talk about their feelings. However, as explained by this theory, the topics that are associated with each gender are a result of the interactions an individual has witnessed and taken part in. Genders do not innately gravitate towards some topics over others.

Example of Symbolic Interaction Theory Similar to interactionist perspective theory, the images we see on a daily basis do not intrinsically have meaning; rather, the society we live in has allowed us to associate them with either negative or positive connotations. This adds a layer to understanding about a given context.

Think of a teenage girl standing in a private jet wearing a shirt saying, "Raised on Champagne," says Thoughtco. These two symbols, the private jet and her shirt, both communicate a luxurious lifestyle because one would need a certain amount of money to be on a private jet and champagne is considered a glamorous drink. The shirt is an easier example to see the symbolic interaction theory in practice as champagne intrinsically does not have that status; rather, it has been socialized to be for the rich. Furthermore, if one was "raised on champagne," having access to this drink will come naturally and is no longer a luxury but everyday life. According to the theory, this interpretation is only possible because the society we live in has given such symbols their meaning.

For sociologists, the way the world is experienced and how meaning is given to everything stems from these theories. So next time an image pops up and generates a negative reaction, remember all of the forces at work behind it.

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What Is the Interactionist Perspective Theory?

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The interactionist perspective theory is an explanation used by sociologists to explain how everyday interactions contribute to someone's identity. The theory is not limited to personal interactions, but also includes how symbols play into it. What Is Interactionist Perspective Theory? There are three types of theoretical perspectives used by sociologists: symbolic interactionist, functionalist perspective and conflict perspective.