Unlocking Language Acquisition: The Behaviorist Theory and Its Complements - Essay Sample

Introduction

The behaviorist theory explains the process of language acquisition, especially the native languages. This theory gets a backup from three other theories because they complement each other. These theories include the mentalist theory, interactionism, and rationalist theory. The mentalist and behaviorist theories are mainly applicable in the acquisition of native languages while the rationalist and interactionism are applicable in the acquisition of foreign languages. Behaviorists have a belief that small babies learn languages from older adults through imitation and observations. According to behaviorists, adult human beings are role models as they provide rewards and stimuli to an infant's environment. When a baby learns how to talk, adults usually praise him/her and show affection. Behaviorism explains how a baby develops language. However, it excludes the situation where a parent is inattentive or absent during the child's growth. In such scenarios, the baby will still develop language acquisition. This essay will discuss in detail the behaviorist approach to language acquisition.

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J.B. Watson founded the behaviorist theory, which is a psychological theory of learning the native language. Some of the supporters for this theory are O. N. Mowrer, Leonard Bloomfield, A.W. Staats, and B.F. Skinner. The behaviorism theory was an advancement in America, which became an emerging approach to psychology during the early decades. The theory emphasized on the essence of verbal behavior, and in turn, gained a remarkable trust from the educational world. The main principle of the behaviorist theory is how to analyze human behavior using stimulus-response interaction and how they associate with each other (Hopkins, 9). E.L.T Thorndike was the first behaviorist to exploit the nature of learning as an establishment of how particular processes of behavior associate, and their consequences. The behaviorist theory makes a consideration that all learning happens due to reinforcement and reward.

Pavlov conducted an experiment in regards to the effectiveness of reinforcement and reward in language acquisition (Nor, 162). He used babies to explain his research. According to him, small babies acquire the native language through imitations. Babies begin by communicating through babblings, which resemble the words said by adults surrounding them. An adult who will hear the baby babble will reward them and the baby will get the motivation of trying to speak more words, with less babbling. As the baby grows up, he/she will emit sounds and a group of sounds. They will also learn to combine letters to form words, words to form sentences and sentences to form statements. A child with a normal growth pattern will develop socialized speech by the age of five or six.

The behaviorist theory of language acquisition explains that a child learns speech through a trial-and-error process. That is, the acceptable words get reinforcement through approval and appraisal, while the unacceptable phrases do not get any reinforcement. As a result, the child uses more and more acceptable phrases and stops using unacceptable phrases. This process helps the learner to develop finer discriminations until his/her language becomes close or similar to those of their surrounding communities (Nor, 162). Behaviorists emphasize that the process of learning in human beings and animals is a habit formation process. The learning acquisition process is done in small bits in that; the learner learns small extents at a time. The learner begins by learning singular words, multiple words and after a while, they finally learn how to make a speech.

The behaviorist theory encompasses five principles. Firstly, behaviorist theory puts a focus on spoken language. That is, the theory focuses on the most primary form of language. A person has to learn how to speak before they learn how to write. Secondly, behaviorist theory is the theory of habit formation and it is a reminder of structural grammar. Learning languages is a mechanical process, which leads learners to form a habit. Thirdly, the behaviorist theory emphasizes on the stimulus-response chain. Fourthly, learning entails the establishment of habits, which are a result of reinforcements and rewards. Rewards are positive reinforcements while punishments are negative reinforcements (Hopkins, 10). Language development has to incorporate both the positive and negative reinforcements for the learner to gain an acceptable language. Lastly, learning is conditioned by nature and society. Therefore, learners within the same nature and society can have the same learning experience and outcomes. This principle explains why people living in the same area have the same language.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is evident that for the behaviorists, learning entails conditioning of practice, imitation, habituation, and reinforcement. The behaviorist theory provides the best explanation for the learning acquisition process. However, the theory has its shortcomings. One of its shortcomings is that it does not explain about the children who grow up in the absence of their parents or guardians. Such children do not get any reward or reinforcement, but they still acquire their native languages. As much as the theory has its shortcomings, it cannot be argued that the major part of learning is behavioral. The behaviorist theory has influenced various teaching methods in the field of language teaching. The behaviorist theory has the aim of making discoveries in the behavioral justifications that help in designing a language. The theory resulted in the emergence of empirical language learning, which has become popular in many learning institutions.

Works Cited

Hopkins, David B. "An Outline of Nativist and Behaviorist Theories of Language Acquisition." International Conference on Literature, History, Humanities and Interdisciplinary Studies (LHHISS-17) Bangkok (Thailand) July. 2017.

Nor, Norbahira Mohamad, and Radzuwan Ab Rashid. "A review of theoretical perspectives on language learning and acquisition." Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences 39.1 (2018): 161-167.