Some theories for CLA

Innateness theory (Chomsky, 1965)

Noam Chomsky argued against Skinner's theory. He reasoned that children have an innate ability to acquire language through what he called a ‘language acquisition device' (LAD).

Chomsky claimed that all languages have a different surface structure - French and English sound different from each other through their differing intonations and stresses. However, he felt that all languages share the same deep grammar structure, or linguistic universals - subject–verb-object. His theory suggests we are pre-programmed with this deep structure. Chomsky's theory explains how children can understand sentences they've never heard before.

Critics such as Bard and Sachs (1977) argue that children don't learn to speak automatically. They need to communicate and interact with others – innateness alone is not enough.

Before acquiring cognitive ability, children are unable to contrast sizes and cannot use comparative language. Piaget showed that, looking at a range of sticks of differing sizes, they use words such as ‘short' or ‘long' but not the comparative terms ‘shorter' or ‘longer'.

Skinner claimed that children learn language by copying or imitating those around them.

Chomsky maintained that, whilst all languages have a different ‘surface' structure, they all contain the same deep grammar structure. His theory suggests we are pre-programmed with this deep structure as a kind of language acquisition device. Click your answer to see the options you chose.

The ‘cut-off’ age

As well as theories on how children acquire language, there are theories about when. Eric Lennenberg’s (1967) theory suggests that there is a critical period in a child’s life during which they are able to acquire language. Lenneberg’s theory claims that language acquisition is linked to maturation. He proposes that the human brain is designed to acquire language at a certain time. Lenneberg suggested that there is a cut off age around 12 or 13 years and that once this period has passed language leaning slowed down or in effect was no longer possible.

The Science

The brain begins to grow at around 18 months old. It has acquired grammar and phonology by about four years of age and it is widely accepted that an ability to acquire language probably extends this learning period up to the middle of the second decade. After this point, it is said that there is a decline in the neural plasticity of this area of the brain, severely impairing language acquisition ability.

Assessing Lennebergs Theory:

Genie’s story-

Unfortunately, there have been occasions to test Lenneberg’s theory . Studies highlight that the plight of ‘Genie’, a 13 year old American girl raised in appallingly deprived circumstances. Locked away from the world, deprived of language and forbidden to speak, she was denied human interaction. When she was discovered she did not have language as we know it- just ‘grunting’ sounds/ Despite many varied learning programmes, Genie never spoke in a fluent manner. It appears that Genie was rescued too late to acquire language within the critical period.

Victor’s Story-

Victor, often referred to as feral child was discovered at 12 years of age. Initially, he was mute and again despite extensive treatment and a loving carer he never learned to speak properly.

Criticisms-

Some ask the questions: Were Genie and Victor intellectually damaged from birth and incapable of learning how to speak? Others ask: Were the speech therapists and specialists’ methods inadequate in helping Genie and Victor? Would they have fared better in the care of others?

Has it been accepted?

It has been widely accepted that there is some truth in Lenneberg’s theory, the immense language leaning ability, which accompanies us through out early years, does seem to be shut down by some kind of genetic programming around the time of puberty. Genie and Victor’s cases would have also supported a theory by another well-known psychologist- Vygotsky. Vygotsky (1978), argued that a child is only able to acquire language when he is interacting with people in his environment and, in particular in co-operations with his peers. Obviously, neither Genie nor Victor had the opportunity to do this.