Chomsky

Chomsky believed that the ability to develop a spoken language is genetically programmed into individuals and they have the ability to understand and use language regardless of other abilities and to become fluent in their first language by the age of 5/6. He believed children were born with a ‘language acquisition device’ which enables children to recognise and develop the language they experience- he believed children were pre-programmed to acquire a language and it evolves naturally in the same way that children have the ability to stand and walk. The ability to use language develops because of maturation. A child isn’t able to learn a new language through imitation alone because the grammar of the language around them is often highly irregular. Even if Adults around the child use correct grammar or even correct a child, the child will continue to apply plural ‘rules’ for example ‘deers’ or ‘geeses’, if they have reached that particular stage of language development.

Bowlby’s theory was in attachment. He was a psychologist that believed that mental health and behavioural problems could be attributed to early childhood. His theory suggests that children come into the world pre-programmed to form attachments with others that will help them survive- BIOLOGICALLY pre-programmed-. He believed a child’s attachment behaviours are instinctive and are triggered by any situation that appears to be a threat to their closeness with who they are attached to e.g. a parent. He suggested that the fear of strangers represented a key survival mechanism that is built in by nurture. Babies are born with a tendency to display certain innate behaviours-social releases- which help ensure closeness and contact with the parent or attachment figure e.g. crying, smiling, crawling, etc. A disruption to attachment has a negative impact on development.