Applied Linguistics

Theories of Speech & Language Development
Researched by: Alexa

Objectives:
1. Understand each of the four theories of language development
2. How do clinicians apply the theories of language development?
3. Be familiar with the multicultural considerations of speech and language development
The process of speech and language development in infants and children is complex and interrelated. For
normal communication to develop, there must be an integration of anatomy and physiology of the speech
systems, neurological development, and interactions that encourage infants and children for
communication attempts. Language development includes both receptive and expressive language.
(Owens, 2012) There are four theories that explain most of speech and language
development: behavioral, nativistic, semantic-cognitive, and social-pragmatic.
Understanding the Theories

Behavioral Theory
The behavioral perspective states that language is a set of verbal behaviors learned through operant
conditioning. Operant conditioning is a method of changing behavior so that a desired behavior is
reinforced immediately after it occurs. B.F. Skinner is considered to be the father of the modern
behavioral theory. This theory can be applied to many aspects of human learning including speech and
language. The theory centers around the idea that children are conditioned by their environment and the
reinforcement of their communication.
Behaviorists believe that language behaviors are learned by imitation, reinforcement, and copying adult
language behaviors. They consider language to be determined not by experimentation or self-discovery,
but by selective reinforcements from speech and language models, usually parents or other family
members. Behaviorists focus on external forces that shape a child's language and see the child as a
reactor to these forces. (Hulit, Howard, & Fahey, 2011)
Imitation and Practice

Two other concepts that are important for understanding the behaviorist ideas of speech and language
development are imitation and practice. A young child will try to imitate sounds and words he hears his
parents say the best he can. When a child says a word that sounds close to what the parents say, they
accept and reinforce it. In other words, they begin shaping the word until the child can eventually say the
word as well as the parents do.
An example of selective reinforcement:

A child says "mama" when his mother starts to pick him up. The mother is delighted to hear the child say
this and gives the child a hug and kiss. The mother says "Mama, that's right, I'm Mama!" The mothers
affectionate response makes it more likely that the child will say "mama" again. The mother's response to
the child reinforced the behavior.
Nativistic Theory
The nativistic theory is a biologically-based theory which states that language is innate, physiologically
determined, and genetically transmitted. This means that a newborn baby is "pre-wired" for language
acquisition and a linguistic mechanism is activated by exposure to language. (Hulit, Howard, & Fahey,
2011). This theory believes that language is universal and unique to only humans and that unless there
are severe mental or physical limitations, or severe isolation and deprivation, humans will acquire
language. The nativistic theory argues that caregivers do not teach children the understanding of
language and do not usually provide feedback about the correctness of their utterances. (Pinker, 1984).
Language Acquisition Device

The main theorist associated with the nativist theory is Noam Chomsky. He came up with the idea of
the language acquisition device (LAD). The LAD is a language organ that is hard-wired into our brains at
birth. Once a child is exposed to language, the LAD activates. Click the button below to learn more about
Chomskey's ideas.
The Nativist Perspective

Semantic-Cognitive Theory
The semantic-cognitive theory is a perspective of language development that emphasizes the
interrelationship between language learning and cognition; that is, the meanings conveyed by a child's
productions. Children demonstrate certain cognitive abilities as a corresponding language behavior
emerges. (Bloom & Lahey, 1978). The semantic meaning that a person wants to communicate
determines the words and word order (syntactic form) the person uses. For example, children know what
they want to communicate (cognition) but do not always use the correct semantics or grammar. Also,
children may not know the correct use of a word or understand that a word can have more than one
meaning.

Social-Pragmatic Theory
The social-pragmatic theory considers communication as the basic function of language. This perspective
is first seen in infant-caregiver interactions in which the caregiver responds to an infant's sounds and
gestures.
The prerequisites for the social-pragmatic theory are:

1.) The infant must have a caregiver in close proximity to see, hear, or touch
2.) The caregiver must provide the infant with basic physical needs such as food, warmth, and exploring
the environment
3.) The infant must develop an attachment to the caregiver
4.) The infant and caregiver must be able to attend to the same objects or actions simultaneously
5.) The infant and caregiver engage in turn-taking in both verbal and nonverbal behaviors (McLaughlin,
2006).
In ideal parent-child communication, all of the five prerequisites are met in most interactions. The social-
pragmatic perspective emphasizes the importance of the communicative partner's role; the partner's
interpretation of what is said defines the results of the speech act.

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Applied Linguistics

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Theories of Speech & Language Development

Researched by: Alexa

Understanding the Theories

Imitation and Practice

An example of selective reinforcement:

Language Acquisition Device

The Nativist Perspective

The prerequisites for the social-pragmatic theory are:

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