Essay: Exploring Theories of First Language Acquisition in Children

This essay delves into the realm of first language acquisition in children, examining three prominent theories: cognitive theory, the innateness of certain linguistic features, and imitation with positive reinforcement. The essay begins by introducing language acquisition as a quintessential human trait and the significance of a child's first language in shaping their social and cultural identity. It then explores Piaget's cognitive theory, emphasizing the importance of a child's understanding of the world before language development. The essay also discusses Chomsky's theory of innate linguistic features, suggesting that children possess an inborn capacity for language learning, and Skinner's theory of imitation and positive reinforcement, highlighting the influence of the social environment. The essay concludes by arguing that Skinner's theory of imitation provides a viable account of first language acquisition, as it emphasizes the role of nurture in language development. The essay is supported by references to key researchers and their works in the field of linguistics.

Running head: FIRST LANGUAGE ACQUISITION IN CHILDREN
First Language Acquisition in Children
Name of the student
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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.

2FIRST LANGUAGE ACQUISITION IN CHILDREN
The theory of innateness of certain linguistic features is related to the concept of first
language acquisition in the children. Noam Chomsky’s writings focuses on the fact that
children have the innate capacity in relation to learning the human language. This theory
suggests that children discover grammar of their native language on the basis of inborn
grammar. There are aspects related to language structure that is pre-ordained by cognitive
structure in relation to the human mind (Ambridge et al., 2015) There are certain basic
universal feature in relation to language structure and it is held that pre-programming of the
children can help them in the aspect of first language acquisition. Language can be said to be
complex as it contains distinctions regarding which the speaker is not aware about. The
children can master native language within 5 years irrespective of their intellectual ability.
The language acquisition is not dependent on the level of the general intelligence because a
retarded child also learns the native language without any kind of special training. It can be
said that there are certain innate features in the mind that can help the children in relation to
first language acquisition by the child who has been exposed to the aspect of speech. The
language acquisition device (LAD) refers to syntactic universal along with structural
properties that are found universally in the languages (Prieto & Esteve-Gibert, 2018)
Syntactic structures can be said to be inborn that helps the children in learning the words
pertaining to first language. It can be said that children can learn first language with the help
of innate syntactic pattern.
The third theory of Imitation and Positive reinforcement of Skinner states that
children learn with the help of imitation and by repeating the things that they hear. Positive
reinforcement plays a significant role in the aspect of first language acquisition in the
children. Children imitate the adults and the repetition of the new words can help them in
learning the first language. The Imitation theory has stressed on the view that the child can

3FIRST LANGUAGE ACQUISITION IN CHILDREN
learn the first language with the help of operant conditioning (Houwen et al., 2016). This
theory stresses on the fact that children learn speaking by imitating the sounds that they hear
around them. The responses of the children are strengthened by hearing the repetition and the
other reaction that the adults provide (Bishop, 2014)
According to me, the theory of imitation of Skinner provides a viable account in
relation to first language acquisition in the children. This theory stresses on the influence that
social environment can play in helping the children learn the first language (Foster-Cohen,
2014). I think that this theory is pertinent in relation to first language acquisition because it
talks about the influence that nurture plays in language development in children. In the
society, we often hear the children repeating the sayings of the parents and this is how the
children start understanding the meaning of words (Savignon, 2018). The constant hearing of
the same words at home helps the children in learning the words and the meaning associated
with it.
First language is an integral part of social identity of the children. The cognitivists
believe in the fact that one can learn language owing to general cognitive abilities. One can
learn language with the aid of memory and problem solving can help an individual in relation
to intellectual development. Language acquisition does not depend on general intelligence as
a child who is retarded can learn native language irrespective of any special training. Innate
features are present in the children that helps them in learning the first language. The theory
of Imitation of Skinner brings out the fact that children can learn by the repetition of the
words that they hear around them. Positive reinforcement plays a dominant role in the aspect
of language acquisition in the children. Social environment can play an effective role in
helping the children learn about first language.

4FIRST LANGUAGE ACQUISITION IN CHILDREN
References:
Aitchison, J. (2011). The articulate mammal: An introduction to psycholinguistics.
Routledge.
Ambridge, B., Kidd, E., Rowland, C. F., & Theakston, A. L. (2015). The ubiquity of
frequency effects in first language acquisition. Journal of child language, 42(2), 239-
273.
Bishop, D. V. (2014). Uncommon Understanding (Classic Edition): Development and
disorders of language comprehension in children. Psychology Press.
Foster-Cohen, S. H. (2014). An introduction to child language development. Routledge.
Houwen, S., Visser, L., van der Putten, A., & Vlaskamp, C. (2016). The interrelationships
between motor, cognitive, and language development in children with and without
intellectual and developmental disabilities. Research in developmental disabilities, 53,
19-31.
Prieto, P., & Esteve-Gibert, N. (Eds.). (2018). The Development of Prosody in First
Language Acquisition (Vol. 23). John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Researchers.mq.edu.au. (2018). An introduction to language. Retrieved from
https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/an-introduction-to-language
Savignon, S. J. (2018). Communicative competence. The TESOL Encyclopedia of English
Language Teaching, 1-7.