Age in acquiring first language Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Age in acquiring first language - Research Paper ExampleSociety classifies individuals who speak the same language in a single group. In light of this, it is critical for one to understand the acquirement process and the relevancy of the critical period in language acquisition.There are major theories of language acquisition come through in the development, which include linguistic nativism, behaviorism, and social interactionism. Linguistic nativism infers that language acquisition is a predetermined process. Nativists anticipate that children are unlearnedly able in acquiring language. Supporters of behaviorism inferred that nurture played a of import role in childrens acquisition of language. According to them, the environment through different agents such as parents modeled or taught children how to comprehend and speak a specific language. The focus of these theorists was on two major processes, operant and classical conditioning.The social-interactionism perspective assert s that both innate biological and social factors predispose childrens acquisition of language. According to them innate/biological factors such as a slowly maturing brain capable of assimilatory new information and social factors such as parents, teachers influence language development in children. These theorists remark the role of adults in supporting childrens language acquisition through child-directed speech. In addition, they acknowledge childrens personal intentional participation in language acquisition through their reliance on their innate nature.Before learning the rules that govern language, children communicate through crying and non-verbal communication (gestures). Later, interaction with parents enables them to develop oral examination language specific to their society and prepares them for the acquisition of other literacy skills. This shows that literacy development is a systematic gradual process. Children impinge on from first stage of communicating (crying a nd non-verbal communication) to an intermediary stage (oral