Use of Theories to Explore Language Acquisition and Literacy Development in Children - Term Paper Example

Use of theories to explore language acquisition and literacy development in children Name Professor Course Date Introduction Early childhood is a crucial stage for establishment of life-long literacy. Studies have shown that language acquisition and literacy skills precede ability to read and write. Besides, those skills have a great influence in acquisition of more literacy skills in later developmental stages. Thus, all educators must be aware of all aspects revolving around language acquisition and literacy development in children. When children are motivated to develop awareness and interest in language and literature at tender age, they are more likely to proceed in their schooling having increased early literacy skills (Gleason, 1993). Such skills are intertwined with increased possibility for academic success in later years. Over the past few years, language acquisition and literacy development in children has been given much attention. Nonetheless, huge gaps remain in understanding issues concerning what takes place in childcare programs developed across the country. Many educators have failed to achieve required standards of educating children because most of their literacy building activities are inadequately informed (Rizzi, 2003). This essay will look into issues surrounding language acquisition and literacy development in children in light of existing theories and their application. Main body The development of language acquisition Human language is an established system that children break into it by acquiring its essential elements. As children grow, they discover words within the acoustic system that act as input to language learning. Children mine, manipulate, and establish complex structures required for combining linguistic elements into natural languages in numerous ways. Language acquisition is a process, which may be slow or rapid depending on the learner and the immediate environment. Before infants can begin to link words onto objects in real world, the first step is discovery of sound sequences of words. However, to do that, an infant must first learn certain units of their native languages via continuous stream of sounds. Infants have an innate ability to segment words from fluent speech (Ritchie, 2009). In other words, language acquisition is supported by natural elements, which are inborn. Discovery of words of a language and linking them to real objects is the initial step of language acquisition. Children have to take a step further to understand the distribution of elements of words, which include functional words and grammatical endings. In that way, they will comprehend combinatory meaning of utterances. Children must implicitly determine and apply grammar in their language to determine relationship between the language and objects in the environment. That is, children will start to relate words to actions taking place in the environment based on who-did-what-to-whom. The situation mostly applies to simple sentences used regularly. The process will boost language acquisition by allowing children to assemble segments of speech in such a manner that it would enable computation of crucial, relational conceptions of the world (Barrett, 1999). Every new aspect of language learnt is integrated into already established language structure. As children continue to collect raw materials in sounds, they also learn how to accumulate the sounds into longer strings. Assembled words are finally mapped to create meaning. Various layers of complexities exist during the process and children must be assisted to overcome those challenges and acquire all essential aspects of language (Sakai, 2005). Many theories have been proposed to explain acquisition of language in childhood stage. The three major theories of language acquisition are the active construct of grammar theory, reinforcement theory and imitation theory. According to the imitation theory, children are said to learn grammar via memorization of words and sentences of their language. The theory insinuates that children hear words used around them and copy them. Thus, when a child is raised in a French-speaking environment, the child will possibly acquire French. Proponents of the theory stated that children must see the signs or hear words of their language before integrating them into their mental dictionaries. Language is largely a skilled activity. During acquisition of language skills, imitation plays different roles. Imitation functions at different levels of language acquisition. Imitation involves coordination between perceptual and motor functioning. In other words, imitation is operational between motor system of the brain, visual system and other sensory systems. It is closely related to language acquisition because language and speech also need coordination and interaction between perceptual and motor activities. Children cannot be trained to imitate people within their environment. They have an innate desire to learn. Children have natural symbolic abilities that enable them to copy adults and other children in their environment. Some studies have shown that imitation of language and elements of speech during early childhood is an unconscious undertaking. The process of imitation is characterized by extraction of certain elements within a stream of speech sounds. In most cases, children try to practice and perfect what they learn. Although numerous questions are still unanswered concerning how children imitate sounds, it is clear that their abilities are purely innate. In addition, some researchers also concluded that language capacity is also innate. Because children cannot be trained to learn language, structural foundations of imitation must be innate. Exploration of theories of language development Sociocultural theory is one of the theories of language development, which was created by Lev Vygotsky. According to the theory, language is learned from cultural and social interaction. The theory surpassed mere communicative interactions, which other theorists had proposed to be the epitome of language acquisition and development. Lev presented a perspective, which concentrated on the essence of individual agency, sociocultural and contextual factors, and multiple identities within the process of learning (McGuinness, 2005). Sociocultural theory is based on the importance of society in language development in individuals. The theory stresses interactive relationship between language learners and culture in which they live. Lev believed that peers, caregivers, parents and culture at large bore the greatest responsibility for development of higher-language order functions. The theory divided developmental aspects of a child into two phases. The first phase involved social aspects, where the environment first influences an individual. Later, the individual undergoes a second phase of growth, which takes place within. The two phases applied to logical memory, voluntary attention and formation of concepts. Aside from the two-phased development, all language functions were believed to emanate from actual relationships between individuals. Sociocultural theory was based on language development from the perspective of human cognitive and higher mental functions (Meissner, 2008). The thought behind the theory was that development of cognitive and higher mental functions in human beings emerged from social interactions. More so, it was impossible for individuals to take part in social activities without development of cognitive and communication functions. After development of those functions, the individual undergoes unconscious engagement with social functions. The sociocultural perspective indicates that children’s early language learning begins from the process of meaning making. The process is collaborative in nature, in that it takes place between people sharing certain culture (Crookes, 1992). Thus, learning is intertwined with social events where one interacts with objects, events and people within the environment. Cognitive theory is associated with Jean Piaget, who proposed that development of knowledge in humans is a gradual process involving acquisition, construction and application. According to Piaget, cognitive development involved progressive rearrangement of mental processes due to biological maturation and environmental experience (Snow, 1998). Children are continually engaged in comprehending the world around them. In the event, they discover discrepancies between what is previously known and what is freshly discovered. According to Piaget, cognitive development is at the epicenter of human organism. In addition, language is reliant on cognitive development. Human beings are born within a dynamic system characterized by continuous change. Thus, according to Piaget, human beings have to undergo numerous processes as they progress in the system of dynamism. Early childhood is a period typified by commendable physical growth and mental development. The cognitive abilities in humans are linked with reasoning, memory, thinking, and problem solving. Those processes emerge throughout childhood and aid in acquisition and use of knowledge (Lantieri, 2001). Piaget stated that cognitive development is a multi-staged process. He categorized the process into four stages namely; the sensorimotor stage, the preoperational stage, the concrete operational stage and the formal operational stage. The sensorimotor stage occurs between birth and age of two (Wasserman, 2007). During the process, the newborn’s knowledge is narrowed to motor undertakings and sensory perceptions. The preoperational stage occurs between the age of two and six, where the youngster begins to pick up how to use language (Reed, 2001). At the stage, children do not understand concrete logic, thus, they are unable to manipulate information. The concrete operational stage occurs between the age of seven and eleven. During that stage, children have gained better understanding of mental operations and can think logically concerning concrete events. The formal operational stage occurs between the age of twelve and adulthood. During that juncture, people are capable to think about nonfigurative concepts. During the stage, various skills, such as systematic planning, deductive reasoning and logical thought emerge. John Watson founded behavioral theory during the early twentieth century. The theory was created in a bid to understand how learning took place in human beings. According to the theory, learning was based on the idea that behaviors are acquired via conditioning (Klein, 2006). Consequently, conditioning occurred via interaction with the environment. Proponents of the theory believed that the aspect of learning in human beings occurred due to responses to environmental stimuli, which shaped behaviors. The theory tends to study literacy development using systematic and observable factors and not internal mental states. Behaviorists believed that any person could be trained to undertake any task, irrespective of internal thought system, personality traits and genetic background. Behaviorists categorized conditioning into two sections, that is, classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Skinner, who was one of the proponents of behaviorist theory, stated that language is a behavior, thus, it is learned just like any other behavior. The nativist theory, which was created by Noam Chomsky, became a revolutionary perspective in language learning. According to Noam, language is an innate faculty because people are born with certain set of rules known as universal grammar. Language is built upon the universal grammar (Thomas, 2005). The nativist theory is grounded on the supposition that human beings are born with a language acquisition device (LAD), which enables them to develop syntactic structures as they learn new words. The theory indicates that children have internalized knowledge of their native language. Noam stated that internalized knowledge about native language is responsible for ease in learning mother tongue. According to Noam, children are born with natural capacity to learn language, thus they do not need undergo any formal education before they learn how to speak. Besides, the brain system is equipped with components necessary for recognizing sound patterns. Although every human being is born with certain principles of language, there is a crucial period for language learning (Hoff, 2007). During that stage, children can learn language spontaneously and can speak creatively. Noam stated that children manage to learn their language despite limited exposure to correctly formed language. He said that when adults or other older children are speaking, young children continually interrupt themselves and alter their minds. Learning a language is not a simple process of copying what is heard. During the process of hearing, rules are deduced and then applied in creation of sentences. Children are engaged in setting grammatical parameters when they listen to their parents and unconsciously identify the language they are dealing with. Compare and contrast differing theories of language development All the propose theories of language development demonstrated numerous areas of agreement, despite variation in nature and ideas underlying the theoretical frameworks. For instance, all the theories reiterated the importance of environment in boosting language acquisition and literacy development in children. The socio-cultural theory indicated that social interaction played a central role during the learning process. Proponents of the cognitive theory also posited that learning process encompassed a combination of biological maturation and environmental experience. Behaviorism stated that learning was based in acquisition of ideas via conditioning. The process of conditioning took place via interaction with the environment. Although the nativist perspective moved away from the idea behind influence of the environment, it ended up concluding that language was an innate faculty (Menyuk, 2001). Nonetheless, children had to acquire their mother tongue, which still emanates from the environment. All the theories also indicated that language acquisition and literacy development in children was a gradual process. According to the nativist perspective, children are born with universal grammar. However, they have to acquire certain input, realize rules applicable in language development, set parameters, and then apply what they had learnt. Socio-cultural theory stated that social interaction aids language acquisition and development in children. Children are engaged in a gradual construction of their social world before they acquire all elements of language, which ultimately leads to literacy development. Cognitive theory demonstrated that learning process in children is a multi-staged process. The theory presented four stages involved in the learning process. The stages were the sensorimotor stage, the preoperational stage, the concrete operational stage and the formal operational stage. Behaviorists suggested that learning took place via a process of conditioning. During the process, two major types of conditioning are applicable, that is, classical conditioning and operant conditioning. The role of parents and caregivers was stated as imperative during the process of language acquisition and literacy development. According to Noam’s nativist theory, when children begin to listen to their parents, they understand their language. Behaviorists posit that parents are majorly involved in conditioning of their children to aid learning. The cognitive theory states that humans have to acquire, construct and use what is acquired from the environment (Tuttle, 2011). During early stages of life, most input comes from parents and caregivers. Sociocultural theory relies on social and cultural interaction during the process of language acquisition and literacy development. Again, parents and caregivers take the central role because they are the first agents of culture in a child’s life. The theories also differed greatly. The nativist theory was the unique theory because it presented a different idea. According to the theory, learning was an innate faculty, meaning that environment played limited role during the learning process. In other theories, the environment took a leading role in enhancing learning. The socio-cultural theory appeared to be similar with cognitive theory because it was based on a socio-cognitive model. However, the theories differed because sociocultural theory appeared to reiterate the importance of external environment. On the other hand, cognitive theory was based on language acquisition with the help of mental development (Clark, 2004). Thus, internal makeup was instrumental in enhancing learning. Behavioral theory differed from all other theories because it viewed children as passive recipients of language training. Training was seen as the key factor in boosting learning in children. The theory assumed the importance of internal factors, such as genetic makeup, mental capacities and personal interests. Implications of differing theoretical perspectives upon educator’s engagement with children Differences existing between the theories are very important for educators because they provide various ideas that help in boosting critical thinking. Educators who have knowledge of all the theories are positioned to understand their students better. Every theory presents a different viewpoint, leading to a different idea. The difference helps educators to approach educational matters from various perspectives, which improve the quality of services by enhancing flexibility and willingness to change. All the theories were proposed after extensive research, which provided knowledge necessary for understanding the process of learning. The theories considered different approaches, although they have similar goal; understanding the process of learning and literacy development. Thus, educators can select ideas deemed applicable to student body by analyzing their characteristics and educational needs. Most of the theories provide suggestions on how educators should approach educational matters. For instance, Vygotsky stated that teachers can only understand their students if they take a step of understanding their historical and cultural background (McLaughlin, 1997). The statement was made many decades ago, although it still relevant in contemporary education system where students from different cultural backgrounds interact. Some theories suggest that environment plays a fundamental role in learning while others posit that mental condition of students is instrumental during the process. Teachers with an in-depth understanding of the theories can easily create structures and programs that can integrate those ideas to enhance learning. Conversely, the theories can create a negative influence to educators because of their differing propositions. While other theories indicate that learning is an innate faculty, others state that training can help students acquire knowledge (Wright, 2000). Educators may find it difficult to apply the theories because all propositions were associated with advanced research, leading to high rates of credibility. Nonetheless, variation of viewpoints can act as a source of confusion to teachers, especially those who have low decision making and critical thinking skills. Conclusion In conclusion, learning during early childhood creates a strong foundation for further acquisition of knowledge in later stages of life. Over the years, various theories have been created in a bid to understand the process of language acquisition and literacy development. All the theories have been known to have numerous strengths and weaknesses. Nonetheless, they provide numerous ideas that teachers can rely on to enhance their understanding of students. Educators who are well versed in all theories of learning can provide the best educational services because they are exposed to numerous ideas and viewpoints. Many theorists acknowledged that teachers play a leading role in enhancing language acquisition and literacy development in children. References Barrett, M. D. (1999). The development of language. Hove, East Sussex, UK: Psychology Press. Clark, E. (2004). How Language Acquisition Builds On Cognitive Development. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 8(10), 472-478. 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