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Wendy Landry
Created on November 19, 2023
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Transcript
Language Acquisition Theory
Human's main way of communication is through language, they also have other ways for those who may have a disability that stops them from using language. When trying to define language you explain that sounds and symbols are put together in a certain way to convey meaning , it could be written or verbal. We start to learn language from the day we are born, the are four theories that each suggest how we learn language. The four theories are; Nativist theory, interactionist theory, cognitive theory, and behavioral theory. Below I explain three of the four theories.
Interactionist Theory- because George Herbert Mead never published his working theory, his students compiled his teaching into four volumes that laid the foundation for the interactionist theory (Al. Harbi, 2020). This theory explains that language exists for the purpose of communicating with each other and can only be learned by social interaction (Al. Harbi, 2020). It states the importance of the environment and culture in which the language is being learned. Mead believes that language has a role in forming the self and the formation of self requires the existence of other selves (Al. Harbi, 2020). According to Mead human begin to get self concerning about their social surroundings. Children start to take on roles when playing with other children that they see in everyday life, such as firefighters, doctors, etc. Durning this development process children learn to convey others attitudes and opinions toward a subject or person. Teachers can support this by allowing students to socially play with thier peers, this will also help students with special needs to socially communicate with others (Al. Harbi, 2020).
Nativist Theory is one of the most well-known theory about language acquisition. This theory was put together by Noam Chomsky, he believes that in our brains we have a "Language acquisition device," (LAD) it holds the grammatical universals and allows us to learn language (Lopez, 2018).This theory is from the observation that children mimic and learn language without being formally taught. Chomsky's theory argues that human brain structure naturally allow for the capacity to learn and use languages. It is believed that rules that language acquisition are innate and strengthen naturally as humans grow (Lopez, 2018). According to Chomsky for us to teach we must maintain our students interest in learning or even aroused their interest. Students come to school with the interest to learn, so it is important to keep them engaged, by applying a method of teaching that will develop curiosity and the wanting to learn more with helps with children with special needs.
Behavioral Theory which is sometimes called the limitation theory-BF Skinner states that behaviorism proposes that we are a product of our environment (Coldwell, 2019). That children do not have the ability to develop language on their own, they must mimic their caregivers and modify their use of language due to operant conditioning (focuses on a reward or avoiding a punishment) Skinner believes that like other behavioral, language acquisition can be observed rather than trying to explain the mental systems underlying these types of behaviors (Coldwell, 2019). According to Skinner children learn language by repeating everything that is said around them every day. Educators can support this theory by praising their students for correctly completing their work, for instance giving them a sticker for using complete sentences or by correcting them for using the wrong or incorrect language. Givings rewards will help children with special needs to understand what is the correct way of doing sometihng.
The Imprtant on understanding language acquistion Theories and supporting them when teaching
Language acquisition is our ability to speak and hear the language and that acquisition is the foundation for an abundance of other skills such as writing structure, vocabulary, and other text-based skills (Petra, 2019). Acquisition is the acceptance of knowledge by the subconscious, this is where information is being stored from the use of communication (Petra, 2019). Teachers must have clear and accurate knowledge of the theories on language acquisition, so they can properly understand how learning happens. You must know how students learn what is being taught, how the brain collects and stores this information. You must know the effective way to present this information, to ensure that it is being learned by students. Not having this knowledge can cause a teacher to teach based their teaching method on false reasoning or expectation that are impossible. A teacher can teach about a subject every day repeatedly, but if they not teaching it in a way that is grabbing their student's intention, triggering the brain to want to know more and store what was taught then it will pass straight through the student without them noticing anything. Children all learn at different rates, some may need a little more help in understanding what is being taught, or they may have a problem with keeping their attention, so they only catch certain parts of the lesson. Some things being taught are better learned through mimicking, sometimes you need to see it to learn it, sometimes it is better learned when it is presented in a way that makes it exciting to learn. Understanding the four theories and how learning happens can help a teacher to specialize in her lesson to fit all her student's learning needs. Students can then benefit from everything teachers do to support the development of their language skills while teaching them grade level content. The theories all present different suggestions on how humans learn language and how it is important to know how to communicate (Coldwell, 2019). Each theory explains their opinions but also provided important research that has been done and results of how a child's brain can learn language. By teachers fully understanding each theory and putting them together and supporting them when putting together their lesson plans can ensure that they are presenting their lesson and communicating with their students in a way that is effect, and in a way that their brains is able to store this information for further use. Language and communication are the main source of how teachers provide their students with information to prepare them to become successful adults. Understanding the different theories help teachers with their students who have exceptionalities, providing many opportunities for their students to have social interaction and communication among their peers which is a key component in developing language skills. These theories also guide you when tailoring your lessons to fit all your students' needs who may have exceptionalities or may not.