Theories of Language Acquisition

Language is just one aspect of a child's overall intellectual development.

• Cognitive Theory

• Interaction Theory

• Behaviourist Theory

Children imitate adults. Their correct utterances are reinforced when they get what they want or are praised.

• Cognitive Theory

• Innateness Theory

• Behaviourist Theory

This theory emphasises the interaction between children and their care-givers.

• Cognitive

• Behaviourist

• Interaction

This theory adheres that a child's brain contains special language-learning mechanisms at birth.

• Cognitive

• Innateness

• Behaviourist

He is the proponent of the Behaviourist Theory.

• Piaget

• Bruner

• Skinner

He is the proponent of the Cognitive Theory.

• Piaget

• Chomsky

• Bruner

This is the natural faculty of the brain which makes language learning natural.

• tabularasa

• language acquisition device

• developmental milestones

It is the process by which humans acquire the capacity to perceive and comprehend language, as well as to produce and use words and sentences to communicate.

• Language acquisition

• Language competence

• Language proficiency

It is any language that a person uses other than a first or

native language.

• National language

• Medium of instruction

• Second language

It is the common language spoken by average citizen of a particular place.

• Vernacular

• Lingua franca

• Dialect