Outline the basics of the "learning theory" explanation of language development. Summarize its strengths and weaknesses

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Learning theories of language development stress the roles of (1) reinforcement of appropriate language as the primary mechanism of learning, (2) shaping of successive approximations as a means of increasing the verbal repertoire, and (3) the role of imitation in language development. Strengths: in general, learning theory works best in explaining phonological and semantic development. Imitation seems to play an important role in both. Parents do tend to reinforce the "truth value" of their children's utterances. Weaknesses: however, learning theory explanations of how a child acquires subtler aspects of language such as syntax and pragmatics do not suffice. For example, children utter phrases and sentences they have never heard before, they overregularize nouns and verbs, creating words never heard before, and acquire syntax at a pace and level of complexity that defies explanation in terms of conditioning and simple imitation. Moreover, parents typically do not reinforce correct grammar to an appreciable extent, only truth-value. Finally, learning theory principles offer no plausible explanation for the existence of "linguistic universals.".