Compare and contrast the behaviorist and nativist theories of language acquisition. What is the interactionist view, and how has it arisen out of dissatisfaction with the other two approaches?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Behaviorists represent the "nurture" position on this issue. First proposed by Skinner, the behaviorist view is that language is conditioned through imitation and reinforcement. Being understood and getting what you asked for are reinforcers that shape children's increasingly complex labguage. Nativists, as exemplified by Noam Chomsky, represent the "nature" position on this issue. Impressed with the apparent ease and rapidity with which young children acquire language, and critical of the inefficiency of imitation and reinforcement as the underlying processes, Chomsky proposed that humans have an innate "language acquisition device." In this view, the brain is preprogrammed to acquire language with minimal effort. According to Chomsky, children learn the rules of language, rather than specific word combinations.

Mirroring the history of the nature-nurture debate in general, the interactionist view regards both of these approaches as too extreme, asserting instead that heredity and environment both contribute significantly to language development. While acknowledging our biological preparedness for learning language, interactionists also regard children's social exchanges with parents and others as crucial. Thus, language depends on both an innate predisposition and a supportive environment.