Theories of Language Development
How do children acquire language? There are a number of theories - or explanations of observed behavior - regarding language acquisition and development. In this topic, you will examine the following theories: Behaviorist Theory, Nativist Theory, Constructivist Theory, and Halliday's Theory and Functions of Language.
Learning Objective
After completing this section you will be able to:
- Explain some of the common theories of language development and relate specific examples from your experiences to those theories
Reading
Online Readings
- The Reading Wars: Phonics vs. Whole Language
- Behaviorist Theory
- What Do Babies Know About Language (Nativist Theory)
- What is Constructivism? (Constructivist Theory)
- Towards a Language-Based Theory of Learning (pdf) (Halliday's Theory)
Key Information
- Behaviorist Theory
- Nativist Theory
- Constructivist Theory
- Halliday's Theory and Functions of Language
Activities
- Activity 1-A-1: Language Development Theory