Nativist Hypothesis Mcat

a) Components of language

Theories of Language and Language Acquisition

Language acquisition is the process by which children gain the ability to speak their native language, typically occurring before the age of five. The journey starts with infants engaging in babbling at around nine to 12 months. From around 12 to 18 months, they start using coherent words, followed by the naming explosion at around 18 to 20 months. By two or three years, children are able to form complete sentences, and by age five, they have more or less mastered their native language.

There are different theories that attempt to explain how language is acquired. The nativist theory, developed by Noam Chomsky, states that the capacity to learn language is innate, with a language acquisition device in the human brain. The learning theory or behaviorist theory, attributed to B.F. Skinner, proposes that language is acquired through operant conditioning. Lastly, the social interactionist theory, introduced by Vygotsky, suggests that language develops out of an innate desire to communicate and is picked up through social interactions. Additionally, there are theories that debate the relationship between language and cognition: linguistic universalism and the Whorfian hypothesis (linguistic relativity).

• Introduction
  • Language acquisition overview
  • Babbling (9-12 months)
  • First words stage (12-18 months)
  • Two words stage: Naming explosion (18-20 months)
  • Telegraphic stage: Stringing words together (2.5 years)
  • Beyond telegraphic (3-6 years)
  • Nativist theory: Noam Chomsky
    • Language Acquisition Device (LAD)
    • Critical period of language acquisition
    • Operant conditioning approach
    • Reinforcement of correct language sounds
    • Innate desire to communicate
    • Language acquisition through social interactions
    • Linguistic universalism
      • Thought precedes language
      • Language created based on thought
      • Language dictates thought
      • Language influences perception of the world

      

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      What are the main theories of language acquisition and their key principles?

      There are three main theories of language acquisition: Nativist theory, Learning theory, and Social Interactionist theory. Nativist theory posits that humans are born with an innate capacity for language and a language acquisition device (LAD) in the brain. Learning theory suggests that language is acquired through a combination of imitation, reinforcement, and conditioning. Social Interactionist theory emphasizes the importance of social interaction and context in language learning.

      How does the Nativist theory explain the process of language acquisition?

      The Nativist theory, proposed by Noam Chomsky, asserts that humans possess an inborn capacity for language learning. According to this theory, humans are born with a language acquisition device (LAD) in their brains, which enables them to acquire and learn languages naturally. This LAD contains universal grammar principles that are innate and common to all human languages. During the critical period of language development, children are exposed to their native language, and the LAD helps them recognize and learn the language’s specific grammar rules.

      What is the role of social interaction in the Social Interactionist theory of language acquisition?

      The Social Interactionist theory emphasizes the importance of social interaction and context in the process of language acquisition. According to this theory, children learn language primarily through the active engagement with their environment and social context, including interactions with caregivers and other people in their surroundings. These interactions provide opportunities for children to learn linguistic structures, vocabulary, and communicative functions through observation, imitation, and feedback. Social interaction is seen as a driving force that shapes language development and helps children to acquire linguistic skills and competences relevant to their culture and community.

      What is the Whorfian hypothesis, and how does it relate to linguistic relativity?

      The Whorfian hypothesis, also known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, is a concept in linguistic relativity that suggests the structure of a language can influence and shape the way its speakers think, perceive, and experience the world. This hypothesis posits that people who speak different languages may think differently because their languages shape their cognitive processes. The Whorfian hypothesis is commonly associated with two versions: a strong version, called linguistic determinism, which asserts that language determines thought, and a weak version, which claims that language influences, but does not determine, thought patterns.

      What is the naming explosion, and when does it typically occur in a child’s language development?

      The naming explosion, also known as the vocabulary spurt, is a phase in a child’s language development when they start to learn new words at a rapid pace. This phase typically occurs between the ages of 18 to 24 months, although the precise timing can vary among individual children. During the naming explosion, a child may learn several new words each day, rapidly expanding their vocabulary. This rapid increase in vocabulary acquisition is often attributed to a combination of cognitive development, increasing linguistic abilities, and the child’s growing understanding of the symbolic nature of words and their connections to objects, actions, and concepts in the world around them.

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      (Note: This guide is part of our MCAT Psychology and Sociology series.)

      Part 1: Introduction to language and cognition

      Part 2: Language

      a) Components of language

      b) Language acquisition

      c) Language disorders

      Part 3: Cognitive development

      a) Piaget’s theory of development

      b) Dual-coding theory

      c) Information processing model

      Part 4: Cognition and intelligence

      a) Theories of intelligence

      b) Attention

      c) Problem-solving

      Part 5: High-yield terms

      Part 6: Passage-based questions and answers

      Part 7: Standalone questions and answers

      Part 1: Introduction to language and cognition

      Our brain uses sensory information from the environment to understand the world around us. Cognition refers to the way our brain processes and interprets the information presented by our environment. This processing can be both automatic or intentional.

      Language is a tool that allows us to communicate our cognitive processes with other humans. The power of language facilitates thought about objects that are not in our immediate vicinity or events that may occur in the future. However, language is complex and requires special cognitive processes to understand and process.

      These two topics are high-yield. Throughout the guide, you will find bolded terms that are defined at the end. Let’s begin!

      Part 2: Language

      a) Components of language

      Language can be broadly defined as units of words that are organized according to hierarchical rules. A phoneme is the smallest unit of a language and refers to units of speech sounds. Various phonemes may combine together to form a word. Differentiating between phonemes and other naturally produced sounds is a difficult task that is achieved as children learn categorical perception.

      Phonemes can be constructed to form words by following a certain morphology. In linguistics, morphology refers to units within a word that can alter its meaning, such as prefixes, suffixes, and verb tenses.

      Words can be strung together to form meaningful sentences. Different orderings of words can have different meanings (or nonsensical meanings), depending on the syntax of a language. Syntax may include the grammar rules of a language, which dictate a conventional way to order parts of speech in a sentence.

      While syntax provides a set of rules to create a legitimate sentence, the ability to derive meaning from a sentence depends on pragmatics. Pragmatics refers to the prior meaning and contextual knowledge that speakers of a language share. The ability to convey meaning is reliant on a shared vocabulary. Semantics, or the meanings of words, plays a critical role in relating what is shared through language to the real world.

      b) Language acquisition

      Language acquisition occurs rapidly during the infant and childhood years. Beginning from the early months of life, infants begin to babble. Children gradually acquire language at a slow pace until the language explosion occurs around the second year of life. During this period of time, vocabulary words are learned at a rapid pace.

      There are several theories as to how language is obtained. The social interactionist theory states that language acquisition is driven by the desire of children to interact with their environment and others. This theory places brain development and social play at the center of language acquisition.

      The nativist (or biological) theory states that humans have an innate ability to speak and use language. This theory centers upon a hypothesized language acquisition device, a specialized neurological pathway that allows young children to automatically acquire language by observing the world around them.

      As the nativist theory of language acquisition depends on physiological development, the theory also supports the existence of a critical period for language acquisition. This critical period is typically from late infancy (e.g., 2 to 3 years old) to early adulthood (marked by the onset of puberty). After this period ends, it becomes much more difficult to learn a language, which may explain why adult language learners must make a much more conscious effort to acquire a foreign language.

      The learning (or behaviorist) theory proposes that language is acquired through operant conditioning, or through a process of trial and error in which correct language is rewarded. Reinforcement from others of sounds that are most similar to the ones found in a language will encourage children to continue making similar sounds until these sounds are shaped into words. Although this theory may explain the gradual acquisition of language starting from vocabulary words and phonemes, it fails to explain the ability to create new sentence forms and structures.

      Language is also essential to communicating our cognitive processes to others and allows us to explain the world around us to varying degrees of detail. The Whorfian hypothesis suggests that our perception of the world is somewhat shaped by the language we use. For instance, repeated use of pronouns within certain languages (such as English) may promote a perception of the world that is centered around individuals, whereas the exclusion of pronouns in other languages (such as Japanese) may lead speakers to have a more collectivistic view.