Journal of Language, Linguistics and Literature

Vol. 1, No. 2, 2015, pp. 30-40

http://www.publicscienceframework.org/journal/j3l

Theories of First Language Acquisition

Saeed Mehrpour1, Ali Forutan2, *
1
Department of Foreign Languages & Linguistics, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
2
English Department, Farhangian University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract
Investigating the processes through which individuals acquire language is Language acquisition. In general, acquisition of
language points to native language acquisition, which examines childrens acquisition of their first language, while second
language acquisition concerns acquisition of extra languages in children and adults as well. The history of language learning
theories can be considered as a great pendulum cycled from Skinnerian environmentalism to Piagetian constructivism to
Chomskian innatism. Consequently, much of research in this field has been revolved around the debates about whether
cognitive process and structure are constrained by innately predetermined mechanism or shaped by environmental input.
Linguists Noam Chomsky and Eric Lenneberg, for half a century have argued for the hypothesis that children have inborn,
language-specific capabilities that make possible and restrict language learning. Others, like Catherine Snow, Elizabeth Bates
and Brian MacWhinney have hypothesized that language acquisition is the product of common cognitive capacities and the
interface between children and their surrounding communities. William O'Grady suggests that multifaceted syntactic
phenomena stem from an efficiency-driven, linear computational system. O'Grady refers to his work as "nativism without
Universal Grammar. Nevertheless, these basic theories of language acquisition cannot be absolutely divorced from each other.
The purpose of the present paper is reviewing some of the fundamental theories that describe how children acquire their native
language. Therefore describing the strengths and weaknesses of Behaviorism, Mentalism, Rationalism, Empiricism,
Emergentism, Chunking, Vygotskys Sociocultural Theory, Piagets theory of child language and thought, Statistical Language
Learning, Relational Frame Theory and Activity theories are among the objectives of this study. In general these basic theories
are very much complementary to each other, serving different types of learning and indicating diverse cases of language
learning.

Keywords

Behaviorism, Mentalism, Rationalism, Empiricism, Emergentism, Sociocultural Theory

Received: March 18, 2015 / Accepted: April 9, 2015 / Published online: April 10, 2015
@ 2015 The Authors. Published by American Institute of Science. This Open Access article is under the CC BY-NC license.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

1. The Behaviorist Perspective

In psychology, during the first half of the 20th century with external observation. Behaviorist theory, founded by J.B.
behaviorism was the dominated philosophy of mind as a Watson, is in fact a theory of first language acquisition,
reaction to the pitfalls of introspectionism. According to advanced partly as a reaction to traditional grammar. The
Schultz and Schultz (2012) introspection is the inspection of main tenet of this theory relates to the analyses of human
one's own conscious thoughts and feelings. It refers behavior in terms of observable stimulus-response interaction
exclusively to the decisive and rational self-observation of and the association. On the whole, "the behaviorist theory of
one's mind status and it is directly connected to the stimulus-response learning, particularly as developed in the
theoretical notion of human self-reflection, and is contrasted operant conditioning model of Skinner, considers all learning

* Corresponding author
E-mail address: [email protected] (S. Mehrpour), [email protected] (A. Forutan)
 Journal of Language, Linguistics and Literature Vol. 1, No. 2, 2015, pp. 30-40 31

to be the establishment of habits as a result of reinforcement formation drills possibly will not naturally promote
and reward" (Wilga Rivers, 1968, 73). Therefore, babies intrinsically oriented language acquisition. Therefore prior to
acquire mother tongue habits by the use of varied babblings achieving the threshold level, the learners are not creative
which are similar to the words uttered by a person around and it is evident that the intrinsic learning will be postponed,
them. Because the babies are rewarded for babblings and due to the delayed acquisition of threshold level as a result of
mutterings, more production of similar type into combination formerly developed set of drills and rules. In this theory
of syllables and words in the same circumstances will be also the rate of social effect on acquisition is not adequately
reinforced. Thus, babies continue producing sounds, clusters clarified and the degree to which the social context enhances
of sounds, and by the passage of time they merge the language acquisition remains unexplained. Moreover the
utterances by analogy and generalizations. Then babblings chief strategies of the theory can only be right for the early
and mutterings develop into socialized speech but gradually stages of language development and the theory is generally
they are internalized as implicit speech, and thus many of fruitful for animal learning and experimentation. Another
their sentences get close to the adults. According to Rivers counterargument on behaviorist theory is that lots of the
(1968) in the process of trial-and-error, in which satisfactory learning processes are by and large too complicated, and
utterances are reinforced by understanding and agreement, there are unobservable intervening variables between
and inaccurate utterances are rejected by the lack of reward, stimulus and response. Thus, language acquisition cannot
children progressively discover to make better occur through stimulus and response chain, since language is
discriminations until their production approximates the too complex to be acquired this way, particularly in a very
speech of the adults. Thus behaviorist theory has the view short period of time. Actually, behaviorism has its pitfalls,
that human learning is the same as animal learning in the although it is a fact that learning process is for the most part
process of habit formation. According to this view, an a behavioristic processing or a verbal behavior. In the domain
extremely complex learning task by being broken down into of language teaching this theory sets up the central
minute habits could be acquired (Hubbard and Thomton, background of drills in considering language as stimulus and
1983). In short, in this view language development is an response and it provides a perspective in the appreciation of
issue of conditioning via practice, imitation, reinforcement, the use of restricted observation to find out the laws of
and habituation, which represent the paces of language behavior. It also has had enormous impacts on many teaching
acquisition. We should consider that all theories of leaning in methods, for instance, Audio-lingual Method, Total Physical
the school of thought of behaviorism are associationistic, like Response, and Silent Way represent the behaviorist view of
Thorndike's, Guthrie's, Hull's, Skinner's, and the theory of the language.
school of functionalism.

3. Neo-Behaviorism
2. Counterargument on Throughout the expansion of behaviourism, there were some
Behaviorist Theory of psychologists who understood the nature of some sort of
Language Learning mediating processes involved in between the pure stimulus-
response association. Charles E. Osgood (1916-1994) was
From the perspective of behaviorism, the central strategies of
among the neo-behaviorists whose theory of language
language learning are imitation, reinforcement, and
behavior was less puristic and more interesting in
rewarding. Nevertheless further investigations on the
comparison to pure stimulus-response theories of language.
language acquisition have demonstrated that imitation of
Neo-behaviorists added concepts including thought and
utterances demonstrates almost no evidence of innovation;
mental processes in their analysis of human behavior, and
furthermore children differ noticeably in the amount of their
consequently the issue of meaning was of dominant
imitation (Bloom1974). Since kids do not imitate language
requirement in the clarification of human language
elements at the same rate they will naturally learn at different
performance. Such model definitely considers possible
rates. However in terms of vocabulary acquisition it must be
intervening processes which may take place internally in the
supported that imitation is exceptionally. In this theory, the
organism to join such stimulus-response events. This model
process of learning depends more on generalization,
which relates stimulus-response events through internal
rewarding and conditioning which advocate the growth of
mediating processes was known as 'meditational approach
analogical learning. However a process of learning that
and was greatly attributed to Osgood. As a neo-behaviorist,
persuades the learners to build language elements modeled
Osgood (1957) rejected the simplistic use of Pavlovian
on earlier established set of drills and rules seems to frustrate
doctrine by early behaviorists since it recommended that a
the instinctive construction of language. Subsequently, habit
stimulus, in consequence of conditioning, would create
32 Saeed Mehrpour and Ali Forutan: Theories of First Language Acquisition

similar response as the original stimulus created. However, in which contains a set of common principles underlies all
his explanation of the intermediate processes, he was very languages and he also referred to Language acquisition
wary against any mentalistic notion. Osgood was mostly device as inborn knack to acquire language and to apply it
concerned with the construction of a theory of meaning. His productively Lightbown and Spada (2000).
concern in meaning related to the 'mediational process' not
focused on how meaning was reflected in conditioned
behavior. In a mediational model meanings can be
5. Critical Period Hypothesis
conditioned similar to the procedures of classical Following the chomsky's view there is a Critical period
conditioning. Therefore meaning is the mediator between the hypothesis claiming that there is a restricted period during
external stimulus and the external response behavior. Even which language acquisition can happen. This hypothesis
though there is not a direct relationship between stimulus and implies that human beings possess biological devices
response, meanings are not originally there. Through planned particularly for acquiring first language and that
conditioning, meanings are acquired in the same way as other such mechanisms are accessible at puberty or even prior to
types of learning occur. The response which is called to mind that. As a result an adult learner should employ the general
by the existence of a sign, or a word, is only an incomplete learning mechanisms that are not intended for language
fraction of the reaction activated by the original stimulus. In acquisition. According to Lightbown and Spada (2006)
short, following the debates of the mediational model finding evidence to confirm or refute existence of the critical
initiated by Osgood, it can be claimed that a third variable period hypothesis is not simple since from birth, nearly all
has been attached to the S-R model to be able to clarify children are exposing to language. Though there are
language behavior more accurately. Adding this variable instances of children who were deprived of language before
presupposes the appearance of definite internal processes, the puberty and never learn it in a typical way, which more or
called meaning, to take place as responses to some external less support the hypothesis.
stimuli. This model depends on the links that are there
between the external stimulus and its succeeding internal
response and also the relation between this internal response 6. Creolization
which is not visible and the organism's final output which is The deaf inhabitants of Nicaragua offer more evidence for
observable. Considering Skinner's functional analysis model, the innateness of language. In Nicaragua there were no
most of the researchers have supported Osgood's model to education and official sign language for the deaf until around
clarify language behavior since the second has added some 1986. When the language experts in Nicaragua tried to
internal processes. resolve the condition, they revealed that children past a
certain age had problem to acquire any language.
4. The Innatist Perspective Furthermore, they noticed that the younger kids were making
use of gestures unfamiliar to them to be in touch with each
Noamm Chomsky as one of the key figures in linguistics other. To solve this complex issue they asked an American
challenges structural linguistics and introduces linguist from MIT, Judy Kegl, to offer recommendations. She
transformational grammar. Chomsky pointed out that all revealed that these deaf kids had expanded their own Sign
languages are essentially innate and they share the same Language with its own systems of syntax and "sign-
universal principles. He stated that human being biologically phonology". Kegl moreover came across some 300 adults
endowed with language and children acquire language who had never acquired language, and they were
exactly similar to the development of other biological incompetent to acquire language in any meaningful sense,
functions. Chomsky challenged behaviourism view in a way although they grew up in healthy conditions. These persons
that their theory has no justification for logical problem of were not capable of learning syntax while it was feasible to
language acquisition. In fact in comparison to the instances teach words. In Hawaii where first-generation adults
of language expressed around them children confirm to know communicated through an inaccurate "pidgin English" Derek
more about the construction of their language. Universal Bickerton's (1990) investigated immigrant inhabitants.
grammar is one passionately debated issue in which the Bickerton discovered that these parents' children employed a
biological donation includes capacity specific to language complete language in terms of syntax. Additionally, their
acquisition. Noam Chomsky and the late Eric Lenneberg for language displayed lots of the fundamental syntactical
fifty years have argued for the hypothesis that children have characteristics of many other natural languages. The
innate, language-specific knacks that make easy and restrain language became "creolized", and is known as Hawaii Creole
language learning. As a result Chomsky hypothesized a English. This process of Creolization could be considered as
universal grammar which is an innate linguistic knowledge strong support for innate grammar of children.
 Journal of Language, Linguistics and Literature Vol. 1, No. 2, 2015, pp. 30-40 33

7. Evolution of Language feasible to efficiently enhance short-term memory for low-

information-content items by mentally recoding them into a
Nowadays the nativist argument is about how language smaller number of high-information-content items. Two most
developed. According to Derck Bickerton a single mutation, important problems have remained unsettled regarding
a "big bang", connected together formerly evolved qualities chunking theory. Regarding the first problem, even half a
into complete language. Other researchers including Steven century after Millers article (1956), the description of a
Pinker supported a milder evolution during longer stages of chunk is still astonishingly tentative (Mathy & Feldman, in
time differentiates itself from Skinner's work by recognizing review). Various researchers have defined chunks in different
and explaining a special kind of operant conditioning known ways. The second problem is that there are many different
as derived relational responding, a learning route that so far terms used for the same notion of chunks in the literature.
comes out to take place merely in humans possessing a There is not a unanimous term on which all scholars and
capacity for language. Empirical evidences imply that linguists agree. To refer to chunks in language acquisition
children learn language by means of a system of intrinsic studies, most researchers and linguists have created their own
reinforcements, challenging the idea that language idiosyncratic terms.
acquisition is based on innate, language-specific cognitive
Many L1 investigations refer to the reality that chunks are
capacities.
beneficial to L1 acquisition since they are ready-made
memorized wholes which can be saved and retrieved
8. Criticism of Nativist straightforwardly and effortlessly. Consequently, the
Theories application of chunking decreases processing loads and
improves overall oral fluency (Newell, 1990). Nevertheless,
There are many criticisms of the fundamental suppositions of some researchers consider chunks as an impediment to
generative theory, with slight reply from its supporters. The language acquisition (Newport, 1988, 1990). Newport (1988,
evolutionary anthropology unconfirmed the notion of a 1990) pointed out that children are better language learners
Language Acquisition Device (LAD), which demonstrates a since they possess more imperfect information processing
slow adjustment of the human body to the application of mechanisms in comparison to adults and they must analyze
language, instead of a rapid emergence of a full set of binary language in proper components.
parameters describing the entire gamut of potential grammars.
Both first and second language learners utilize chunks;
The theory encompasses numerous theoretical constructs that
however L2 learners appear to be more prone to using them
cannot probably be attained from any quantity of
as communicative strategies. One plausible justification is
input .These theoretical constructs for instance, are strict
that because of greater cognitive maturity, L2 learners not
binary branching, empty categories, movement and complex
only have a superior capability for learning but they may
underlying constitutions. In view of the fact that the theory is,
possibly have a greater need for them because L2 learners
quintessentially, unlearnably difficult, subsequently it should
should perform in real-life conditions that require early use
be necessarily innate. However a different theory of language
of the target language.
possibly will offer diverse interpretations. Lexical functional
grammar, head-driven phrase structure grammar, and a According to Peters (1983) both in native and target
variety of construction grammar are cases of alternative language acquisition, children initiate by choosing
theories that do not employ empty categories and movement. unanalyzed chunks to fit diverse conditions. Step by step
Despite the fact that the entire theories of language children develop those patterns via employing syntactic or
acquisition hypothesize some amount of innateness, a less grammatical systems as the connection between lexis and
complicated theory may engage less innate structure and context becomes inadequate to satisfy novel communicative
additional learning. The input, in cooperation to common and requirements. The innovative procedure of producing
language-specific learning capabilities, in the company of sentences by rules would play the sustaining auxiliary role
such a theory of grammar may be satisfactory for acquisition. of regulating previously identified formulas to new
circumstances. The chunking theory literature implies that
prefabricated patterns are as an L2 learners main policy in
9. Chunking Theory his L2 acquisition. Additionally, the assessment of their
Chase and Simon (1973) originally put forth the Chunking functions discloses that prefabricated speech can function
theory. The chief principle of this theory is that learning takes in L2 learners interlanguage before or after L2 rule
place in consequence of the accumulation of chunks. Miller internalization.
(1956) introduced the term chunking and believed that it is
34 Saeed Mehrpour and Ali Forutan: Theories of First Language Acquisition

10. Emergentism Theory approximately the same. That is, for example there are rarely
eight people in one line and two in the other. There is no
Because the proponents of nativist theory were incapable of governmentally or socially articulated rule governing this
offering precise or testable descriptions of the elements of pattern. Rather, the regularity of this straightforward social
language acquisition many researchers sought to discover structure emerges from other fundamental facts about the
substitutes to genetically-wired modules. The alternatives objectives and behaviours of customers and chain stores
attempt to clarify the formal structures of language as directors. The behavior of honeybees, though they are
emerging from the interface of social patterns, patterns definitely not cleverer than costumers, abides the same
embedded in the input, and demands arising from the biology emergentistic tenets.
of the cognitive system (MacWhinny, 2005). MacWhinny
(2005, p.7) maintains that "the Emergentist approach to
language acquisition views language as a structure arising 11. Stipulationism
from interacting constraints, much as the shape of the coastline The majority of researchers throughout the 1950s,
arises from pressures exerted by ocean currents, underlying hypothesized that language learning is formed by the use of
geology, weather patterns, and human construction". habit formation and imitation, based on the principles of
Although many researchers in the field of language stimulus and response and reinforcement. At the end of the
acquisition suppose that Emergentist approaches to language decade the cognitive proponents and generative grammarians
acquisition stand in straight conflict to theories of the challenged this view. These novel views maintained that the
language faculty which hypothesize an innate Universal multifaceted behavior of language cannot be expressed via
Grammar, some other researchers believe that the principles links between habit formations but the behavior should be
of emergentism are not well described and there is no expressed by the system of rule formation not habit
common compromise as to how problems of linguistic formation. According to MacWhinny (2005, p. 5), "The
analysis should be dealt with (MacWhinny 2005). A power achieved by these systems relied on the ability of the
promising body of research in the area of linguistic analysis modeler to stipulate the right set of rules in terms of their
founded on emergentism accounts implements the elements, combinations, and patterns of rule orderings.
procedures of Connectionism (MacWhinny 2005). MacWhinny (2005:5) goes on and maintains that:
Connectionism is an approach to the study of the mind which The successes of these stipulative systems can be attributed
tries to model language learning and cognition in terms of to the precision of their formulation and the expressiveness
networks of neuron-like units. (MacWhinny 2005, p. 9) of the formal production system language on which they
maintains that: relied. Through its descriptive successes, stipulationism
Although connectionist modeling provides a useful way to test ended up sowing the seeds of its own conceptual destruction.
various predictions about language acquisition, processing, The development of connectionism In the 1980s presented a
change, and evolution, the eliminativist position is far from substitute to stipulationism. Neural networks viewed children
universally accepted within emergentism. Therefore, as learning cues, rather than rules. In the 1990s, investigators
emergentism began as a reaction against stipulationism. started searching other alternatives to rule systems, such as
Nevertheless, following O' Grady (2007a) words; it is not a optimality theory, biological models of neural plasticity
real idea to assume that any model of language acquisition (Elman, 1999) and dynamics systems theory. Also Formal
which does not explicitly specify particular rules or hard-wired linguistic theory initiated to deviate from stipulationism,
modules is Emergentist. If the lack of stipulated rules is trying to draw a minimal set of principles from which wider
considered as the criterion, we would allow ourselves to accept syntactic patterns could emerge.
even the most undeveloped, inarticulate idea to count as an
Emergentist resolution. As a result it can be concluded that for
12. Statistical Language
an emergentist account something more is needed. As
MacWhinny (2005, p.15) observes: An emergentist account Learning
must provide a specific mechanism that works to generate the Statistical learning can be described as the process of
observed behavioral patterns. In an emergentist account, extracting the statistical properties of the data input (Kim et
generativity emerges not from stipulated rules, but from the al. 2009). It is a process through which an individual can
interaction of general mechanisms. track regularities in the input (Graf Estes et al., 2006).
Many instances of emergentism are evident in the nature. For Statistical learning can be described as recognizing patterns
example if you happened to watch the checkout lines at a chain in the environment. Natural language contains fundamental
store, you will notice that the number of people in each line is statistical information that can be explored by listeners.
 Journal of Language, Linguistics and Literature Vol. 1, No. 2, 2015, pp. 30-40 35

children as young as 6 month old can employ computational 14. The Interactionist /
strategies to learn the distributional patterns of sounds,
simple grammatical structures, and the sequential Developmental Perspective
probabilities, as well as the stress patterns, necessary to The phenomenon of language acquisition was considerd the
perform word segmentation. Statistical learning can be figure same as other types of skills and knowledge and under the
out as a mixture of structural linguistic and nativist influence of learning other skills by Cognitive and
perspectives, namely, that the distributional characteristics of developmental psycholinguists. They believe that language
natural language reflect underlying linguistic structure and acquisition is an issue that is similar to and mainly free from
that the development of language requires learning (Saffran, the childs experience and cognitive development .Language
Aslin, and Newport, 1996). Saffran et al. maintain that acquisition is one of the most fascinating features of human
infants possess experience dependant mechanisms that may development. It is normally believed that it starts after birth
be powerful enough to support not only word segmentation and continues till school age; however, there is some proof
but also the acquisition of other aspects of language. They that acquisition gets under way long before this, even prior to
argue in favour of innately based statistical learning birth. Karmiloff and Karmiloff (2002) describe language
mechanisms rather than innate knowledge (1996, p. acquisition as a journey that begins in the fluid world of the
1928). Proponents of this model believe that Chomsky and womb and continues through childhood, adolescence, and
his followers have underestimated the power of learning and even beyond. They claim that as early as twenty weeks
thereby overestimated the need to build language-specific development, the hearing system of the fetus is adequately
knowledge into the organism in advance (Elman and Bates, developed to begin processing of the sounds that filter
1997, p. 1274). through the amniotic liquid. One can imagine its world full
of different sounds including the mothers heartbeats and
conversations as well as other noises from the outside world.
13. Relational Frame Theory
Karmiloff and Karmiloff (2002) state from the six month of
Taking into account a gamut holding different approaches gestation on ward, the fetus spends most of its working time
towards learning in general and language learning in processing the very special linguistic sounds, growing
particular, according to the following figure one can put familiar with the unique qualities of its mothers voice and of
Relational Frame Theory (RFT) somewhere between the language or languages that she speaks.
Empiricism which is at one of the extremes - and
Following interactionists position Children acquire language
Cognitivism which is located somewhere in the middle of
because of the complex interaction between exclusively
the continuum.
human characteristics and the condition in which the child
grows, namely, children acquire language in the milieu of
interaction particularly with adults.

15. Social Interactionism as an

Figure 1. Relational Frame Theory (RFT) Opposition to the Poverty
RFT which has had a remarkable attendance in the of the Stimulus
psychology literature since its expansion over a decade ago, Chomsky claims that the child is exposed to the input in the
is a psychological theory of human language and cognition context filled with puzzling information including imperfect
was developed largely by Steven C. Hayes and Dermot sentences, false starts, or slips of tongue, thus it cannot offer
Barnes-Holmes. In its version related to language learning, it all the information which the child requires (Lightbown &
focuses on how humans learn language through interactions Spada, 2000). They came to the conclusion that children are
with the environment. Consequently it could be declared, that in no way systematically connected or instructed on language.
it is strongly related to Behaviorism of which B.F Skinner's They believe that parents are inconsistent in their correction,
approach is one example. It is distinguished from pure and they do not correct some of the childrens errors as well.
behavioristic approaches to learning, however, in that it takes Furthermore, even if the parents correct errors, children often
into consideration the role of the mind in the learning process. overlook their corrections and keep on using their own habits
This is why it takes a halfway position between Empiricism, of uttering things. Chomsky (1965 cited in Brown, 2000)
which stimulates Behaviorism, and Cognitivism. suggests that children have the capacity to acquire language
since they are equipped with a language acquisition device.
Just small language data from the setting serve as a trigger
36 Saeed Mehrpour and Ali Forutan: Theories of First Language Acquisition

to make active the device. When the device is triggered, the environment is a social environment, that the child is part
child has the ability to notice the structure of the language by of a living environment, that the environment is never
harmonizing the innate knowledge to the structure of the external to the child". In this regard, the childs
particular language in the environment. environment is changing and dynamic meaning as the child
Alternatively, intertactionists suggest that the childs changes the environment changes, too.
linguistic progress is chiefly the result of interaction with
others (Brown, 2000). In contrast to the idea of the poverty 18. Mediated Mind
of the stimulus and slight attention to the function of the
environment, interactionists attribute more significance to the The most fundamental notion of Vygotskys sociocultural
environment (Lightbown & Spada, 2000). They put emphasis theory is that human mind is mediated. Vygotsky expressed
on the role of the child directed speech which is adjusted in a that we use symbolic tools or signs to mediate and regulate
way that makes it easier for the children to comprehend the our relationship with others and with ourselves and thus
language. It is believed that children develop their language change the nature of these relationships (Lantolf, 2007).
through interaction and conversation with adults and other Music, art, numbers and arithmetic systems and above all
children. language are components of these signs or symbolic tools.
To set up an indirect or mediated connection between the
world and ourselves the tools are used. Vygotsky proposed
16. Vygotskys Sociocultural an ontogenetic domain to concentrate on how children
Theory appropriate and integrate especially language as well as
other tools into their thinking activities as they mature. As
Vygotsky (1981cited in Foley and Thompson, 2003) children grow, they enhance control over the meditational
summarizes his socio-cultural theory as: tools including language for interpersonal (social
Any theory in the childs cultural development appears twice, interaction) and intrapersonal (thinking) purposes. Lantolf
or on two planes. First, it appears on the social plane, and (2007) describes that children go through phases in which
then on the psychological plane. First it appears between they are controlled first by things in their setting, after that
people as interpsychological category, and then within the by others in this situation and at last they manage their own
child as an intra psychological category. This is uniformly cognitive and social activities. In sociocultural theory such
accurate with regard to voluntary attention, logical memory, stages are usually known as object-, other-, and self-
the formation of concepts, and the development of volition. regulation. Later on the stages were applied to the first
He believes that language grows completely from social language acquisition.
interaction, and children are only able to develop to an
advanced level of knowledge only via employing a helpful
interactive environment.
19. Activity Theory
Activity theory explains the nature and development of
human behavior based on Vygotskys view that human
17. Environment in Vygotskys behavior is the result of the integration of socially and
Theory culturally constructed forms of mediation into human
Vygotsky believes that the environment is "the socially activity (Lantolf, 2007 p8). Activity In this theory refers to
organized world of culture created by the individual who something which is provoked by a biological desire, like as
developed, in the process, his latent forces and abilities" hunger, or a culturally made need such as the need to be
(Yaroshevsky, 1989 cited in Ghassemzadeh, 2005). The educated in specific cultures. Needs would develop into
environment in this sense is not considered as an absolute motives to attain specific objectives. When an individual
and immutable concept which is already present when the make a decision to eat or be educated, needs become
child is born, but a factor, or rather a set of factors, which motives. According to Lantolf (2000) an activity has three
vary according to the peculiarities of the organism (e.g. the levels: a) level of motivation, b) level of action (or goal)
developmental stage of the child) and which possess some and c) level of conditions. Activities can only be observed
regulations that can be internalized according to a at the level of conditions while levels of motivation and
transformational and developmental system goal are not observable. Consequently, the same observable
(Ghassemzadeh, 2005). Van Der Veer (1986, cited in activity can be linked to different goals and motives. For
Ghassemzadh, 2005) differentiates between the childs example, people may hunt animals either for food or for fun.
environment and the animal environment in that human
 Journal of Language, Linguistics and Literature Vol. 1, No. 2, 2015, pp. 30-40 37

20. Piaget and Vygotsky: from fraction to complete. Taking the meaning into
consideration, the first word of the child is a whole sentence.
Piagets Theory of Child Semantically, the children initiate with a whole meaningful
Language and Thought complex and then begin to take control over the meaning of
words, the disconnected semantic units and to divide their
The first one who looked into child perception and logic
previously undifferentiated thought into those parts. The
systematically by focusing on the typical features of the child
semantic and the external facets of speech grow in reverse
thought was Piaget (Vygotsky, 1986). He believed that the
directions, one from specific to the general and the other
distinction between adult and child thinking was qualitative
from general to the particular, from sentence to the word.
not a quantitative difference. He investigated the childs use
of language and concluded that all the particular features of The movement direction of External and inner aspects is
the childs logic are the egocentrism of childs judgment. He opposite, their progress does not overlap, but it cannot be
placed egocentrism as occupying an intermediate position, claimed that they are independent. Vygotsky (1986, p.219)
genetically, structurally, and functionally, between autistic explains that it is because the childs thought, precisely
and directed thought (Vygotsky, 1986). because it is born as a dim, amorphous whole, must find
expression in a single word. Progress in speech to the
Piaget (1959 cited in Vygotsky, 1986, p.16) explains the
differentiated whole of a sentence helps the childs thought to
distinction between directed and autistic thought.
progress from a homogenous whole to well-defined parts.
Directed thought is conscious, i.e. it pursues an aim which is He believes that there is the self-determining syntax of
present to the mind of the thinker; it is intelligent, which thought behind words which is the grammar of word
means that it is adapted to reality and tries to influence it; it meanings.
admits of being true or false (empirically and logically true),
and it can be communicated by language. Autistic thought is
subconscious, which means that the aim it pursues and the 22. Internalization and Inner
problem it tries to solve are not present in consciousness; it is Speech
not adapted to reality, but creates for itself a dream world of
Vygotsky (1986, p.225) rejects the earlier definitions of
imagination; it tends, not to establish truths, but to satisfy
inner speech by Mueller and Watson. Mueller defined it as
desires, and it remains strictly individual and
speech minus sound and Watson as subvocal speech. He
incommunicable as such by means of language. On the
believes these elucidations are in no way adequate since
contrary, it works chiefly by images, and in order to express
silent pronouncing of terms is not the same as the whole
itself, has recourse to indirect methods, evoking by means of
process of inner speech. He says, Inner speech is speech for
symbols and myths the feeling by which it is led.
oneself; external speech is for others, so difference in
Vygotsky unlike Piaget believes that the development starts functions will lead to difference in structures.
with social, continues with egocentric and ends with inner
Vygotsky believes that egocentric speech transforms into
speech. The direction of development in Piagets view is
inner speech at the school time. The declining vocalization
from individual to social, but according to Vygotsky it is
of egocentric communication demonstrates an emerging
from social to individual.
construct from sound and the childs new capacity to think
words as an alternative for pronouncing them; in other
21. Process of Verbal Thinking words, egocentric speech extends in the trend of inner speech.
Vygotsky (1986) present a fascinating explanation to make
The relation between thought is said to be a process rather
difference between egocentric and inner speech. Consider a
than a thing, a continual movement from word to thought and
person who is at the desk and taking to another person
from thought to word (Vygotsky, 1986, p.211). According to
behind. While he is talking, the listener leaves the room
Vygotsky (1986) speech can be investigated in two planes:
without the speakers awareness. Under the illusion that the
1. External, phonetic aspect of speech listener is attending to his speech, he continues talking. He is
2. Inner, meaningful and semantic aspect of speech outwardly talking with himself, but psychologically his
speech is social. Vygotsky believes that Piaget's theory is
The first aspect, Vygotsky says, begins as the child starts totally different from the illustration, "the child's egocentric
from one word; then he connects two or three words. Later talk is for and with himself; it only has the appearance of
on, he advances from simple statements to more complex social speech, just as the person's speech gave the false
sentences and lastly to coherent speech contains a sequence impression of being egocentric (p.234).
of these sentences; to put it another way, the child proceeds
38 Saeed Mehrpour and Ali Forutan: Theories of First Language Acquisition

23. Inner Speech and Gesture in the ZPD is the cause of human development (Lantolf,
2000, p.18). Therefore imitation is deemed more complicated
David McNeil (1993 cited in Lantolf, 2007) claims that than pure copying, and it is considered to entail
gesture is both an indivisible part of our communicative communicative behavior.
activity with others and a very important feature in our
According to Vygotskys ZPD, Children must learn in order
activities with ourselves. He argues that some meaning is
to be motivated contrary to the common belief that children
conveyed by gesture not as a substitute for a verbal sign but
must be motivated in order to learn. Newman and Holtzman
as a complement to it. Therefore, as we interact with
(2005) explain that in ZPDs framework of learning, children
someone we read his verbal signals and at the same time his
engage in developmental activity volitionally and with
gestural signals. For example, the movement of hands, their
conscious awareness rather than merely spontaneously
direction of movements and the speed of movement may
(p.63). In this context motivation is not an internal
convey meaning not expressed verbally.
prerequisite for learning, but self-consciousness is closely
related to motivation. Vygostsky concludes that children
24. Zone of Proximal must learn to be motivated; then learning results in
Development development.

The zone of proximal development (ZPD) is considered

Vygotskys most important psychological methodological 25. Conclusion
Discovery (Newman and Holzman, 2005, p.52). Vygotsky From the perspective of behaviorism, the central strategies of
(1987 cited in Newman and Holzman, 2005, p.53) defines it as: language learning are imitation, reinforcement, and
The state of development is never defined only by what has rewarding. Nevertheless further investigations on the
matured. If the gardener decides only to evaluate the mature language acquisition have demonstrated that imitation of
or harvested fruits of the apple tree, he cannot determine the utterances demonstrates almost no evidence of innovation;
state of his orchard. Maturing trees must also be taken into furthermore children differ noticeably in the amount of their
consideration. The psychologist must not limit his analysis to imitation (Bloom1974). Since kids do not imitate language
functions that have matured. He must consider those that are elements at the same rate they will naturally learn at different
in the process of maturing. If he is to fully evaluate the state rates. However in terms of vocabulary acquisition it must be
of the childs development, the psychologist must consider supported that imitation is exceptionally. In this theory, the
not only the actual level of development but the zone of process of learning depends more on generalization,
proximal development. rewarding and conditioning which advocate the growth of
analogical learning.
The fundamental topic in the description as Newman and
Holzman (2005) referred is the relationship between It is nearly about two thousand years that the war between
matured and maturing processes. Indeed, it refers to what Nativism and empiricism has begun. Some times Nativism won
the child can do independently and in collaboration with the war some other times empiricism. And the war continued
others. A child can accomplish more with collaboration, help on till the alternative approaches like emergentism came into
or support than he can alone. However, Vygostsky believes existence during one decade ago to reconcile the war between
that the childs potential is not unlimited even if he is helped these two approaches. The proponents of Emergentism believe
(Newman & Holzman, 2005). They assert that one can that neither empiricism nor Nativism is right and both of them
imitate what is in the range of our developmental level (our are wrong. Empiricism is wrong since it tries to construct the
ZPDs). mind out of nothing and Nativism is wrong for its attempts to
make untestable assumptions about genetics and unreasonable
Lantolf (2007, p.16) states that the ZPD is not a physical
proposals regarding the hard-coding of complex formal rules in
place situated in time and space; rather it is a metaphor for
neural tissue (MacWhinny, 2005).
observing and understanding how meditational means are
appropriated and internalized. According to this writer, what Contrary to the innatists view, the proponents of the social
an individual can attain with support from others and/or interactionism state that children acquire language as the
cultural artifacts differ from what he/she can get when acting result of the complex interaction between uniquely human
alone. Although, it is not the subject of simple repetition of characteristics and the environment. They reject the
the behavior but the children transform what the experts chomskys poverty of stimulus hypothesis, which states
offer them as they appropriate it. The key to this that acquisition of language is impossible without proposing
transformation is imitation, which along with collaboration an innate mechanism responsible for the computation and
generation of language.
 Journal of Language, Linguistics and Literature Vol. 1, No. 2, 2015, pp. 30-40 39

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