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"The result of an emitted or stimulated "response" that is immediately rewarded, thereby encouraging further linguistic attempts from the child" (Brown, 2014, pg. 24).

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My baby, Emma, reading a book. When it comes to the behavioral perspective, I can see some of these tendencies to be expressed through my daughter listening to me when reading aloud. She loves listening to me read and therefore will say "book" and I will read to her. This "reward" after giving a verbal cue helps support the behavioral approach.

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In the link below, I have found a website that discusses B.F. Skinner's ideas and theories in great detail.

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Famous Psychologists - B.F. Skinner. Psychologist - Anywhere you need help... Anytime you need it... This one of a kind personal service by Dr Vincent Berger, an internationally recognized Board Certified Psychologist, is for those with a demanding lifestyle who don't have the time or inclination for typical appointments.

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Below is an audio file where I will describe the nativist approach according to David McNeill in 1966.

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Below is a video that I found very informational to how our behavior is influenced by our environment.

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Behavioral theory | Behavior | MCAT | Khan Academy

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While I do believe that our behaviour has an influence on language, I still feel that there are other factors that are in play when it comes to developing L1 and L2 languages. In our next column, I will discuss another language acquisition theory that I believe contributes to our overall language learning capabilities.

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As human beings we are born with the ability to do many things right after birth. From crying to touching things with our hands, we are able to function in a surprising amount of ways right off the bat. Language is no exception because we could make sounds through our cries and because of that fact, it is apparent that language and the ability to make sounds is hardwired into our DNA.

Below is a picture of my daughter after spending a month at the hospital. At this point in her life she is already able to communicate her needs verbally even if the language is not complex.

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According to Splosky, "Information is processed simultaneously at several levels of attention" (Brown, 2014, pg. 28). This means that there is a lot more going on in the human brain that human instinct when it comes to language.

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Below is a link to a video that sums up the Nativist theory in a fun and easy to understand manner.

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Introduction and Definition

Imagine a young child just beginning to talk. Let's call this child Will. At first, Will could only make sounds, but he soon learned to form those sounds into meaningful words. Now he's starting to put the words together to form sentences and communicate in a more complex way. What processes are driving Will's language development?

In this lesson, we'll consider how language development occurs according to the nativist theory. The nativist perspective is a biologically based theory, which argues that humans are pre-programmed with the innate ability to develop language. In other words, Will was born with the ability to develop language.

Noam Chomsky's Ideas

The main theorist associated with the nativist perspective is Noam Chomsky. Chomsky is a strong advocate for the nativist theory of language development. Before Chomsky's time, language development was largely accepted as being purely a cultural phenomenon that is based solely on imitation.

To illustrate this let's think about Will again. Will has learned to make sounds, associate sounds with words that have specific meaning, and is beginning to put the words together to form sentences. According to the popular belief during Chomsky's time, he has accomplished all of this by imitating the speech of those around him.

Chomsky felt differently. He believed that greater attention should be given to children's innate ability to learn language. He came up with the idea of the Language Acquisition Device (LAD). The LAD is a language organ that is hardwired into our brains at birth. Because of this, we are born with the ability to understand and develop language. Once a child is exposed to language, the LAD activates. It allows them to understand the rules of whatever language they are exposed to.

Let's consider Will's language development using Chomsky's theory. Will was born with an ability to understand language. He begins to form sounds in an attempt to communicate with those around him and his LAD activates. Words and sentences follow quickly because he already has an innate knowledge of the basic rules of language.

Pros and Cons

So, are we born with the ability to communicate through language or is it learned after we're born? This is a question that linguists have debated for a long time.

There are arguments for the nativist view of language development. For example, the nativist theory is supported by the idea of universal grammar. Universal grammar means that all languages have the same basic structures and are only transformed into different languages by specific rules. Another argument in support of the nativist theory is the idea that without an innate predisposition for language, infants would be unable to learn the complex speech patterns that surround them.

Arguments against the nativist theory exist as well. For example, the idea of universal grammar may not hold up among all of the languages spoken throughout the world. Another argument against the nativist theory is the fact that language does not develop as quickly as the nativist theorists predict that it should. Instead, it develops in a more gradual process and is shaped by the reactions of others.

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the nativist perspective and language development - video & lesson transcript | study.com

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The Nativist Perspective and Language Development - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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Imagine a young child just beginning to talk. Let's call this child Will. At first, Will could only make sounds, but he soon learned to form those sounds into meaningful words. Now he's starting to put the words together to form sentences and communicate in a more complex way.

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According to Brown, "Functions are the meaningful, interactive purposes within a social context that we accomplish with the forms  cognition, social Interactions, discourse, and constructivist" (Brown, 2014, pg. 31). Below I will discuss how both cognition and social interaction can influence and expand language.

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Below is a video that defines, explains, and gives examples to social interaction in language acquisition.

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This is a quick video we whipped up for our learning and technology class at the University of San Diego. Not bad for 20 minutes of "research" and "rehearsal."

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Below is an image of my daughter with her grandmother. There are times when my daughter says, "Milk!" but without context it could mean a variety of different things. My daughter could be communicating that she is thirsty or that she is simply observing a bottle of milk. Without proper context, it is up to the parents to determine what she is trying to communicate.
According to Lois Bloom, "Children learn underlying structures, and not superficial word order. Thus, depending on the social context, "Mommy sock" could mean a number of different things to a child" (Bloom, 1971).

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The question that pops up in every parent's head is if they are doing enough for their child. Am I teaching my daughter enough, is she learning, what can I do to help her more? I find that even Douglas Brown has trouble when it comes to Nature or Nurture by stating, "For years linguists, psychologists, and educators have been embroiled in the "nature-nurture" controversy" (Brown, 2014, pg. 39). I would like to think that children need both. We need to give children the tools that they need to grow and one of those tools involve language rules. However children are able to use what they know and grow without the help of their parents. In conclusion my daughter may need help communicating the context of her words and that is where nurture comes in, but the fact that she is able to communicate with a specific verbal tone without the help of her parents is where nature comes into play. At the end of the day, I feel that children need both.

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At the end of the day, I found that there are many different factors that go into first language acquisition development. Even by the end of the chapter I found that many theorists had only small ideas and the overall understanding behind it is still in its infancy. What I do know is that there are a number of factors that go into learning a language and the fact that our brains can decode, speak, and comprehend these vocal cues is nothing short of amazing. As I learn more and begin my teaching journey, I will attempt to understand more and maybe even come up with a theory myself.

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1. Brown, D. (2014). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching. White Plains, NY: Pearson.

2. Desai, S. (2013, July 1). Behavioral Theory. Retrieved September 17, 2017, from kahnacademy.org website: https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/behavior/theories-personality/v/ behavioral-theory

3. Simmons, H. (2014, March 19). Vygotsky's Theory on Social Interaction. Retrieved September 17, 2017,      from youtube.com website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmhn_pCq_l0