What is the difference between Chomsky’s approach to language and Skinner’s?
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The differences between Skinner and Chomsky’s views on Language Acquisition are as follows.
B.F. Skinner’s Behaviorist Theory Of Language
B.F. Skinner’s behaviorist theory of language was the widely accepted language acquisition theory during the late 1950s and 1960s. He believed that language is acquired under reinforcement principles. He argued that children acquire language through reinforcement practices and they associate words with meaning. He stated three main principles which include the following:- “Behavior that is positively reinforced will reoccur; intermittent reinforcement is particularly effective.”
- “Information should be presented in small amounts so that responses can be reinforced (“shaping”)”.
Noam Chomsky’s Theory Of Innateness
In 1957, Chomsky introduced the concept of language acquisition device (LAD) which was used to account for the language acquisition competence of human beings. He believed that the acquisition of the first language is the function of the human brain or an innate structure. The introduction of UG or Universal Grammar is also credited to Chomsky. Chomsky believed that humans are born with:- LAD, a set of language learning tools.
- LAD is an abstract part of the human mind which enables humans to acquire and produce language.
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