First Language Acquisition in Children

Running head: FIRST LANGUAGE ACQUISITION IN CHILDREN
First Language Acquisition in Children
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1FIRST LANGUAGE ACQUISITION IN CHILDREN
Language acquisition refers to the capacity of understanding language and it helps an
individual in using words that helps them in communication. Language acquisition can be
said to be a quintessential human trait. The first language or the native language refers to the
language to which a person is exposed since his birth. First language of the child forms a part
of social along with cultural identity of the child. It helps in bringing about reflection and it
helps people in learning the social patterns in relation to speaking. This essay discusses three
theories pertaining to first language acquisition in the children. The three theories that the
essay discusses are cognitive theory, innateness of certain linguistic features and imitation
along with positive reinforcement.
John Piaget was the name of Swiss psychologist who talked about the cognitive
development of the children. It included the concept of language development of the children.
The children cannot think like the adults and it is important that the children construct the
understanding of the world before beginning to develop the concept of language. The
interactions that the child has with the environment can help him in the aspect of first
language acquisition. Understanding a concept is important for the child before he develops
the faculty of language acquisition. The young children cannot voice the concepts that they
are unaware about and learning about the environment can help the children in mapping
language into the experience (Researchers.mq.edu.au., 2018). Language can be said to be a
human mental activity and there are cognitivists who believe in the notion that language
emerges in context of general cognitive abilities. Language can emerge with the help of
memory, attention along with problem solving that forms a part of broader intellectual
development. The acquisition of the first language takes place in certain stages and the
children have to go through these stages in an order that is fixed (Aitchison, 2011). The
children master the morphemes of the first language and the simple ideas are expressed by
the children earlier than the ones that are more complex.