Nature vs. Nurture in Language Development
What is Language? Language is a tool we have been using to understand and develop our thinking. We have been: Learning about the thinking of others by reading Expressing our own thinking through writing Exchanging ideas with others by speaking and listening Thought and language can contribute to clear, effective thinking and communication. Language is a system of symbols for thinking and communicating.
At 5 years of age human is expected to have; Articulated speech, Vocabulary of more than 6000 words and Observe grammar rules. An Average speaker is expected to have; 150 words per minute, 20,000 and 40,000 alternatives and error rates below 0.1%.
There are two theories concerning Nature or Rationalism in Language and these are the Nativism and Child Talk model of Chapman et al. (1992). In the child talk theory the child’s needs will enable him to formulate speech based on his past experiences. Nature or rationalist theory is based on the following study by prominent people in human history: 1. PLATO knowledge and understanding: * innate * biological * genetically * common nature 2. Rene Descartes (1596 – 1650)
Ideas existed within human beings prior to experience. * God * ability of the environment and the mind to influence and initiate behavior * reflex action (unintended behaviors) 3. Kant (1724-1804)
“A priori” knowledge as illustrated below.
4. CHOMSKY
The Nativist Perspective: Human beings are born with an innate capacity for language.
Universal Grammar * An innate property of the human mind * Growth of language is analogous to the development of a bodily organ * Abstract that it could not be learned at all
Principles of UG: 1. Language is innate 2. Our brains contain a dedicated special-purpose learning device that has evolved for language alone. * domain specificity, autonomy or modularity
Nurture states that knowledge originates in the environment and comes in through the senses. This
At 5 years of age human is expected to have; Articulated speech, Vocabulary of more than 6000 words and Observe grammar rules. An Average speaker is expected to have; 150 words per minute, 20,000 and 40,000 alternatives and error rates below 0.1%.
There are two theories concerning Nature or Rationalism in Language and these are the Nativism and Child Talk model of Chapman et al. (1992). In the child talk theory the child’s needs will enable him to formulate speech based on his past experiences. Nature or rationalist theory is based on the following study by prominent people in human history: 1. PLATO knowledge and understanding: * innate * biological * genetically * common nature 2. Rene Descartes (1596 – 1650)
Ideas existed within human beings prior to experience. * God * ability of the environment and the mind to influence and initiate behavior * reflex action (unintended behaviors) 3. Kant (1724-1804)
“A priori” knowledge as illustrated below.
4. CHOMSKY
The Nativist Perspective: Human beings are born with an innate capacity for language.
Universal Grammar * An innate property of the human mind * Growth of language is analogous to the development of a bodily organ * Abstract that it could not be learned at all
Principles of UG: 1. Language is innate 2. Our brains contain a dedicated special-purpose learning device that has evolved for language alone. * domain specificity, autonomy or modularity
Nurture states that knowledge originates in the environment and comes in through the senses. This
References: Pinel, JJ (2011) Biopsychology; Eighth Edition, Allyn& Bacon. Nature versus nurture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature_versus_nurturePowell, K. (n.d.). Nature vs Nurture – How heredity and environment shape who we are. Retrieved from http://genealogy.about.com/cs/geneticgenealogy/a/nature_nurture.htmPowell, K. (). Nature vs Nurture - how heredity and environment shape who we are. Retrieved from http://genealogy.about.com/cs/geneticgenealogy/a/nature_nurture_2.htm