How do adults contribute to infant lexical development Essay Example

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Although there is a nativist position on language acquisition, the empiricist position, represented by figures such as Skinner, Vygotsky and Bruner, complements this notion by contending that learning is the most crucial factor in linguistic structure. An empiricist perspective thus emphasizes the environment in the acquisition of language. Chomsky, however, posited that humans possess an innate capacity to attain language proficiency through the language acquisition device (LAD), with the existence of linguistic universals serving as evidence for this argument.

McNeill posited a theory in 1970/151 which characterizes the internal composition of LAD and, by extension, children. He differentiated between deep language structures and surface structures that exhibit inter-linguistic variations. Children become proficient in utilizing transformational rules, which translate the underlying sense of language to the surface, and vice versa, when they listen to speech. This mechanism was given the name generative grammar, since the capacity to transform grammar led to generating coherent sentences.

An LAD has much supporting evidence from various sources such as Brown& Bellugi (1964), Herriot (1970), and McNeill (1966). This ability to comprehend rules is responsible for the production of utterances like 'I swammed' or 'She ated', though it is believed that prelinguistic knowledge may also be a factor. Additionally, children possess the ability to understand kinesthetic non-verbal communication such as facial expressions or gestures, indicating their complex understanding of communication. Although their lexicon may be limited and they may occasionally over/under extend grammatical rules, children never produce jumbled sentences.

According to Pinker (1994/32), children have the ability to construct grammatical rules and reinvent complex language, even in situations where fixed rules are lacking, such as in the case of pidgin languages that transform into

creole languages after a generation. This is evident when people from different linguistic backgrounds are regularly made to cooperate in various contexts. Bickerton's research on new settlers from China, Korea, Puerto Rico, Japan, Portugal, and the Philippines shows an example of children transforming pidgin language into creole language. Pinker's theory is questioned because it does not consider the role of the environment in acquiring language, including how parents modify language using baby talk register and scaffolding. Learn more about the role of cognition in learning by visiting this page.According to the theory, LAD operates independently of other cognitive mechanisms, thereby reducing language to a simpler concept.

The learning theory emphasizes the environment's role in a child's lexical development, highlighting the crucial role of adults. This theory is based on empirical evidence and emphasizes children's conditioning through reinforcement and imitation. Skinner (1957) identified three ways in which children learn speech: echoic responses, production of mands, and tact responses. Echoic responses arise from sound imitation by a child that is rewarded, reinforcing the behavior. A mand refers to a child's random sound production, which the parent will encourage if it has meaning. Finally, a tact is a child's use of an imitated word in front of a specific object or entity that results in positive reinforcement.

The child's language eventually becomes like that of their parents due to conditioning. However, the theory has flaws. Language acquisition happens quickly and for a longer period than if the child was just reinforcing and imitating what they heard. According to Herriot (1970), children make "virtuous errors" when applying unlearned grammatical rules, resulting in creative language use such as "I swammed" or

"I ated". This may happen when trying to learn irregular morphemes. Vygotsky and Piaget offer the most comprehensive theories on child learning. Piaget's theory is more nativist than Vygotsky's, with the adult playing a minimal role in developing child cognition.

Vygotsky claimed that adults played a crucial role in the lexical development of children through encouraging them to expand their knowledge. Following the translation of his work into English by Wood et al (1988), Vygotsky's ideas have proven to be highly influential in cognitive development research, with many considering his theories to provide a solid framework that, in some ways, challenges Piaget's belief in innate predisposition. One of Vygotsky's most important concepts is the zone of proximal development (1978), which takes into account what a child can accomplish independently versus what they can achieve through assistance from others, including the development of new conceptual ideas and the transmission of cultural ideas. Through this approach, children are able to learn new skills with the guidance of a tutor.

Construction of scaffolding theory by Bruner et al was heavily influenced by his seminal work. Bruner's views aligned with Vygotsky's as he believed in the crucial role of a facilitator who through language and action, could guide a child in completing difficult tasks, a process called "scaffolding". Furthermore, Bruner introduced the concept of the spiral curriculum as a means to develop a deeper understanding of knowledge. According to him, even complex ideas could be acquired by a child if taught correctly, which went against Piagetian thought. Bruner deemed that any subject could be effectively taught to any child at any stage of development in an intellectually honest form.

'Complex ideas

can be understood intuitively by young children, even if not immediately manifested, and later consciously comprehended,' according to Bruner. He supported Chomsky's LAD theory, with the Language Acquisition Support System (1982) being the cultural knowledge that dictates the nuances of language. This includes the sociocultural communication rituals that allow children to learn cultural and linguistic peculiarities. The environment facilitates a distinction for children between lexicon semantics and syntax.

Piaget's interest in child development focused on stages and their impact on communication within cultures. Although he was a nativist, Piaget rejected the idea that newborns had innate thoughts. Instead, he proposed that neonates possessed elementary cognitive structures that facilitated universal information processing. However, Piaget maintained that this cognitive processing could not be expedited by external influence, as children had to learn at their own pace and could not be compelled to acquire advanced knowledge prematurely.

In his discussion, he mentioned cognitive processes such as accomodation, assimiliation and equilibration. Accomodation referred to adjusting past psychological perspectives to fit new ones. Assimilation related to a child's capacity to group new objects with similar ones. It comprised subcategories including reciprocal assimilation, which involved cross-scheme maturation. For example, vision and language would develop together as the child became better at creating semantic schemas from visual stimuli.

Recognition and assimilation of linguistic objects is based on a child's ability to discriminate between them. This discrimination can be achieved through mental or visual representations of objects, such as distinguishing between plural and singular forms. Reproductive assimilation involves the child's ability to interact with objects and distinguish their characteristics. Equilibration, similar to homeostasis, is a balancing act that occurs when objects are being

accommodated and assimilated. Developmental language disorders suggest that linguistic structures are innate to some extent. Tutoring may be more beneficial to a child with normal linguistic skills than one with a language disorder.

It's a mistake to assume that all children will benefit from the same tutoring methods, due to varying linguistic abilities. To positively influence lexical development, adults should recognize a child's strengths and weaknesses. Piaget's approach acknowledges limitations, while Vygotsky's approach challenges the child with non-traditional tasks to accelerate language development. Some innate lexical mechanisms are acknowledged with maturation, but differences exist between cultures in dialect and vocabulary. Those who have mastered a full lexicon transmit their knowledge to learners, such as infants.