BED/WE/24-28/011
01/06/2025

• What helps us learn language?

• Is it something we are born with (Nature)?

• Or is it something we learn through experience (Nurture)?

• Let’s explore both sides!

• Nature = Our biological inheritance

• Language ability is inborn

• Key theory: Noam Chomsky

  • Proposed a Language Acquisition Device (LAD)

  • Believed in Universal Grammar

• All humans are “wired” for language

• Children around the world follow similar stages of language development

• Babies can learn any language at birth

• Critical Period Hypothesis: Best time for learning language is early childhood

• Kids create grammar rules even if not directly taught

• Nurture = Language learned through experience and environment

• Key theory: B.F. Skinner

  • Language is learned by imitation and reinforcement

• Lev Vygotsky emphasized social interaction

  • We learn language through communication with others

• Children in language-rich environments learn faster

• Caregivers help shape language through feedback

• Isolated or neglected children often have delayed language development

• Most experts believe both play important roles

• Nature gives us the ability to learn language

• Nurture provides the experience needed to develop it

• Example: A child can learn any language—but needs to hear it first

• Language development is not just nature or nurture—it’s both

• Biology + Environment = Language Learning

• Understanding this helps teachers, parents, and researchers support language growth