Assignment: Language Development and the Nature/Nurture Debate
Attempts to explain language development have sparked a spirited intellectual
controversy. At the heart of this controversy is the nature-nurture debate. Behaviorist B.
F. Skinner believed that we could explain how babies acquire language entirely with
principles of learning, such as the association of objects with the sounds of words, the
imitation of language modeled by others, and the reinforcement of correct use of words
and syntax by parents and teachers. Linguist Noam Chomsky, who favors the position
of nature, believes that much of our language capacity is inborn. According to this
perspective, just as “learning” to walk is programmed according to a timetable of
biological maturation, so are children pre-wired to begin to babble and talk.
Directions: In this exercise, review each of the following examples of language use by
children and decide whether it best supports the position of B. F. Skinner or Noam
Chomsky. Then, explain your reasoning.
1. Whenever 14-month-old Leo wants his father, he calls out “Dada” and his father
responds immediately. Consequently, Leo says “Dada” much more frequently now
than he did at seven months of age.
Position Supported: B. F. Skinner
This example supports Skinner’s behaviorist view because Leo’s use of the word
“Dada” increases as a result of reinforcement. Each time Leo says “Dada,” his
father responds immediately, which positively reinforces the behavior and makes
Leo more likely to repeat the word in the future. This demonstrates language
acquisition through operant conditioning.
2. Even in her very first sentences, it is obvious that 20-month-old Ava has figured
out the basics of subject-predicate word order. Seeing her father returning from
work, for example, she says “Daddy home” rather than “Home Daddy.”
Position Supported: Noam Chomsky
This example supports Chomsky’s theory because Ava demonstrates an
understanding of grammatical structure without being explicitly taught. Her correct
subject-predicate word order (“Daddy home”) suggests that children are born with
an innate ability to understand language rules, consistent with Chomsky’s idea of
a language acquisition device (LAD).
3. 10-month old Zoe, who is deaf, has begun to babble manually at about the
same time hearing infants begin babbling orally.
Position Supported: Noam Chomsky
This example supports Chomsky’s nature-based explanation of language
development because Zoe babbles manually despite being deaf. The fact that
babbling occurs on a similar developmental timetable regardless of sensory
input suggests that language development is biologically programmed rather
than learned through imitation or reinforcement.
4. While James and his mother are looking at a book together, James’s mother
shows him a picture of an animal and says, “Dog.” James says, “Dog” and his
mother praises him for his correct utterance. Two pages later, James
spontaneously points to a picture and correctly identifies it as a dog.
Position Supported: B. F. Skinner
This example supports Skinner’s position because James learns the word “dog”
through imitation and reinforcement. His mother labels the animal, James
repeats the word, and he is praised for correct usage. This positive
reinforcement strengthens his learning and leads to correct spontaneous use of
the word later.
5. When her preschool teacher asks four-year old Sophie what she did yesterday,
she responds with “We wented to the park.” Her teacher smiles, marveling at
the fact that all children Sophie’s age make this type of grammatical error.
Position Supported: Noam Chomsky
This example supports Chomsky’s theory because Sophie overgeneralizes
grammatical rules by saying “wented” instead of “went.” This type of error
indicates that children are actively applying internal grammatical rules rather than
simply mimicking adult speech, which aligns with the idea of innate language
structures.
6. Luis, who is deaf and was not exposed to sign language until the age of three,
lacks the manual language skills of deaf children born to deaf-signing parents.
Position Supported: Noam Chomsky
This example supports Chomsky’s theory because Luis’s delayed exposure to
sign language resulted in weaker language skills. This demonstrates the existence
of a critical period for language development, suggesting that biological timing
plays a crucial role and that language ability is not solely learned through
experience.
7. 12-year old Mia, who immigrated to the United States when she was four,
understands English grammar much better than 20-year-old Carla, who was
first exposed to English when she was 12.
Position Supported: Noam Chomsky
This example supports Chomsky’s position because Mia, who was exposed to
English at a younger age, demonstrates stronger grammatical understanding
than Carla, who learned English later. This supports the critical period
hypothesis, which states that language is most easily acquired during early
childhood due to biological readiness.