Behavioristic Theory
Behavioristic theory by Skinner.
The process of learning language has always been a complex phenomenon among the critics. It is an acknowledged fact that the lap of mother is the first educational cente4r for the child and the foundation of every human activity is laid when a child uses the lap of the mother, the only shelter of man. In this way this has always been a debatable question how for the lap of mother, the surroundings and the entire atmosphere in which a child lives, proves helpful in learning language one. In this respect, two theories have been put forward, the innate theory presented by chomesky and the behaviouristic theory presented by skinner:-
According to skinner child acquires his first speech through a process which is called the operant process. Operant process means that language is an activity that a child acquires voluntarily without any external force. In this way child acquires his language one in his own free will without any sort of pressure. According to skinner the whole process is based upon four elements. 1. stimulus 2. response 3. reinforcement 4. repetition skinner has elaborated all these things after making experiments on animals. He illustrates the whole process as a rat is put in a box containing a bar and this rat is rewarded food only if it presses accidentally and as a result of that initially process it will be rewarded with the food, but eventually it will get the perception that it cannot get food until it presses the bar. Later the process is made a bit difficult and now it gets the food if it presses the bar at certain number of time. Initially it will feel confusion but eventually it will learn the trick.
After this experiment, skinner expresses the very notion that every stimulus which is followed by a response plays a vital role in learning the first language. Initially this response is given only in case of sort of punishment or reward but eventually the child becomes volunteer in this.
The process of learning language has always been a complex phenomenon among the critics. It is an acknowledged fact that the lap of mother is the first educational cente4r for the child and the foundation of every human activity is laid when a child uses the lap of the mother, the only shelter of man. In this way this has always been a debatable question how for the lap of mother, the surroundings and the entire atmosphere in which a child lives, proves helpful in learning language one. In this respect, two theories have been put forward, the innate theory presented by chomesky and the behaviouristic theory presented by skinner:-
According to skinner child acquires his first speech through a process which is called the operant process. Operant process means that language is an activity that a child acquires voluntarily without any external force. In this way child acquires his language one in his own free will without any sort of pressure. According to skinner the whole process is based upon four elements. 1. stimulus 2. response 3. reinforcement 4. repetition skinner has elaborated all these things after making experiments on animals. He illustrates the whole process as a rat is put in a box containing a bar and this rat is rewarded food only if it presses accidentally and as a result of that initially process it will be rewarded with the food, but eventually it will get the perception that it cannot get food until it presses the bar. Later the process is made a bit difficult and now it gets the food if it presses the bar at certain number of time. Initially it will feel confusion but eventually it will learn the trick.
After this experiment, skinner expresses the very notion that every stimulus which is followed by a response plays a vital role in learning the first language. Initially this response is given only in case of sort of punishment or reward but eventually the child becomes volunteer in this.