Question

Question: This is a small discussion post please help this is discussion question What do you think about t...

this is a small discussion post please help

this is discussion question

What do you think about the “language acquistion device?” Do you think we learn to speak based on reinforcement or is there a neurological device? Most psycholinguistics today, would agree that it's a combination of both.

Share your opinions as well as your experiences with children learning verbal behavior to support your position.

this is the reply given by my classement

I would have to agree that it is a combination of both Chosky and Skinner's theories. I believe that babies and people are born with a natural inclination to communicate through language. But I also think that reinforcement and learned verbal behaviors play a huge part, too. It's true that a 3-month old in the US will have the same vocalizations as a 3-month old in rural Australia, but in both situations, the child is most likely receiving some sort of verbal reinforcement from their caregivers. For example, it's far fetched, but if a baby somehow grew up within a group of wild dogs, never being spoken to in any language, I don't think that child would have very many vocalizations. I think you would witness a lot of non verbal communication by the child, but barely, if any, verbal communication because it has been conditioned this way.

how should I reply him back??

Answer 1

The scenario described in the post above has been observed and studied among linguists. There exist cases of children who have lived isolated from human contact from a very young age. They are called feral children. It has been found that these children suffer severe impairment in language ability.