Language Acquisition Theorists

•  Suggests you can only understand language when you understand the concepts behind it.
•  e.g. Someone can talk in past tense when they know about time.

• Learn through imitation.
• Doesn't explain where new sentences come from.

• Language Acquisition Device (LAD)
• Works out what is/isn't acceptable language use using innate programmed patterns (which are general).
• Exact rules learnt through trial and error.
• His theory supports the fact that children around the world seem to develop at a similar pace, irrespective of race/culture/mother tongue (This also 'defies' Skinner's model.)
•  Also indicates the fact that there is a universal grammar amongst all world languages.
• States that children consistently create new forms of language that they have not heard before.

• Differs from Chomsky in that he believes children read meaning into social situations.
• He states that it is this, rather than LAD, that makes children capable of learning language.

• Studied a boy called 'Jim', who was son of two deaf parents.
• Although he was exposed to T.V and Radio his speech development was especially slow.
• This was rectified when he spoke to a speech therapist.
• The results imply that human interaction is neccessary when children learn to talk.
• Jim was ready to learn to speech but without the social interaction he was unable to do so.

• Slower pace than adult conversations.
• Often simplified sentences and repitition used.
• Tag questions used by parents to encourage responses and involve the child.

• Nelson found that 60% of children's early word phrases contained nouns.
• She found that verbs, pre-modification and phatic followed.
• She also said that the nouns were commonly things that surrounded the children e.g. ball, mum, cat.

Michael Halliday came up with seven functions of speech:

• Instrumental: To fulfil a need (e.g. "want milk")
• Regulatory: To influence the behavior of others (e.g. "pick up")
• Interactional: To develop and maintain social relationships. (e.g. "love you")
• Personal: To convey individual opinions, ideas and personal identity (e.g. me like Charlie and Lola")
• Representational: To convey facts and information (e.g. "it's hot)
• Imaginative: To create an imaginary world and may be seen in play predominately (e.g. "me shopkeeper")
• Heuristic: Learn about the environment (e.g. "wassat?")

John Dore came up with eight functions of speech:

• Labelling: Naming a person, object or thing.
• Repeating: Repeating an adult word or utterance.
• Answering: Responding to an utterance of another speaker.
• Requesting action: Asking for something to be done for them.
• Calling: Getting attention by shouting.
• Greeting: Greeting someone or something.
• Protesting: Objecting to requests from others.
• Practising: Using language when no adult is present.