BEHAVIOURISM (B.F Skinner):
All language acquisition explained by child being conditioned via positive reinforcement
(e.g praising them for using right word)
This positive reinforcement is seen with the Skinner Box study.
Skinner Box:
Pigeon put in a box and made to do a certain task for a reward.
Pigeon repeats task as they know they get reward for doing so.
This conditioning applies to children too.
Strengths Weaknesses
Babies encouraged by positive Parents react to child even when they say
reinforcement the word wrong
Kids use the words they hear Kids ignore corrections
Tend to pick up parents’ pronunciation of Kids use declaratives (statements) more,
words but adults use more imperatives
(command or request)
Kids eventually learn word forms Virtuous errors (e.g I runned)
Kids do not copy tongue slips or false
starts
What to look out for in an exam:
Adults teaching/correcting a child’s language and the child responding.
Children imitating and repeating an adults’ speech.
Children learning or repairing mistakes.
All language acquisition explained by child being conditioned via positive reinforcement
(e.g praising them for using right word)
This positive reinforcement is seen with the Skinner Box study.
Skinner Box:
Pigeon put in a box and made to do a certain task for a reward.
Pigeon repeats task as they know they get reward for doing so.
This conditioning applies to children too.
Strengths Weaknesses
Babies encouraged by positive Parents react to child even when they say
reinforcement the word wrong
Kids use the words they hear Kids ignore corrections
Tend to pick up parents’ pronunciation of Kids use declaratives (statements) more,
words but adults use more imperatives
(command or request)
Kids eventually learn word forms Virtuous errors (e.g I runned)
Kids do not copy tongue slips or false
starts
What to look out for in an exam:
Adults teaching/correcting a child’s language and the child responding.
Children imitating and repeating an adults’ speech.
Children learning or repairing mistakes.
