Language Acquisition: Theories & Insights

Understanding Slang: A Linguistic Form

Slang is a type of language used most frequently by people from outside of high-status groups, characterized by the use of unusual words and phrases instead of conventional forms.

First Language Acquisition: Core Theories

The Behavioral Theory assumes that children imitate what they hear. Through continuous, positive reinforcement, children learn language via conditioning and habit formation.

Behaviorist Perspective: Skinner's View

Skinner (Behaviorism) claims that all errors during first language acquisition are due to "bad habit formation," which, in due course, children correct as they hear and imitate accurate speech.

Nativist Perspective: Chomsky's Innateness

Chomsky believes that human beings are born with an innate capacity for language development.

Unlike the behaviorist approach, which does not take into consideration the child’s own cognitive processes, the "innateness hypothesis" proposed by linguist Noam Chomsky supports the idea that language acquisition has a biological foundation. Facts that support this theory include the following:

• Children acquire language sounds in a certain sequence.
• Children tend to learn language in the same sequence.
• Children acquire function words naturally.

While imitation and habit formation do have a role in language acquisition, children seem predisposed to acquire speech and competency in language by being able to map language onto what Noam Chomsky calls a "Language Acquisition Device" (LAD).

Second Language Acquisition: Research & Purpose

The approach from theory to practice and back to theory in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) is attractive. However, it is important to recognize that SLA research is not always conducted solely for the purpose of generating implications for the additional language classroom. Its aim is not to "solve" the practical problems confronting a pre-linguistic child and their caregivers, but rather to contribute to our understanding of human language and human development. SLA may be studied purely as an academic subject, independently of the desire to help learners and teachers. This brief overview of the discipline is provided here.