Discuss the main principles of Behaviourist, Socio-cultural, and Innatist perspectives on language acquisition
1. Behaviourist perspective:
- Focuses on the role of environmental influences and conditioning in language acquisition.
- According to this perspective, language learning is a result of stimulus-response associations, reinforcement, and repetition.
- Individuals learn language through imitation, positive reinforcement, and practice.
- Language is viewed as a set of habits that are acquired through interacting with the environment.
2. Socio-cultural perspective:
- Emphasizes the role of social and cultural factors in language acquisition.
- Language learning is seen as a process of social interaction, where individuals learn through interacting with others and participating in meaningful conversations.
- According to this perspective, language development is influenced by the cultural and social context in which it occurs.
- Language learning is viewed as a collaborative and social process in which individuals actively engage with others to construct meaning.
3. Innatist perspective:
- Emphasizes the role of innate biological factors in language acquisition.
- According to this perspective, humans are born with a predisposition for language learning, known as the "language acquisition device" (LAD).
- Language learning is viewed as a natural and instinctive process that is guided by universal grammar principles.
- Children are believed to have an innate ability to acquire language through exposure to linguistic input and interaction with others.
Overall, while Behaviourist perspective focuses on learning through environmental influences, Socio-cultural perspective emphasizes learning through social interactions, and Innatist perspective underscores the role of innate biological factors in language acquisition. These perspectives provide different insights into how individuals acquire language and the factors that influence this process.