Literature review topic: The Nativist Approach - Term Paper Example

The nativist approach concentrates on the ease with which children tend to learn the first language they are exposed to. This approach elaborates that once a child can deduce the rules of the language, he can produce sentences. As opposed to the behaviorist theory, the nativist approach illustrates that children do not normally learn to speak a language through the repertoire of words (Samuels, 2002). The topic tends to be essential in the study of English as a second language. This is because it gives an illustration of how listening plays a critical role in enabling a child to learn a second language like English.

This is because if the same exposure that is given to a child when they are learning their mother tongue is given to the child when learning English, then the child is likely to find it easy learning English. The nativist approach gives an elaboration of the setting parameters that enable a child to learn the second language. The nativist approach illustrates that there are hypotheses that can be instilled to enable a child learn the second language. This is what the nativist approach refers to as the devices to language acquisition. . This means that it is not just the setting that enables a child to learn a language, but the acquisition of innate linguistic knowledge also enables a child to learn a language (Senghas, and Coppola, 2001).

A difference that exists between the nativist approach and other theories is the argument of the nativist approach that language acquisition was not imitative. Some of the participants argued that for there to be a language, there are structural rules that have to be used by the speaker. It was argued that it is these rules that are normally used, by the speaker, to enhance the production of a language (Musolino, Crain, and Thornton, 2000). An examination of some of the sources reveals that there were differences that existed between the nativist approach and other linguistic approaches.

For example, the casual theory argues that the content of language is normally a factor of the interactions that take place in the brain. However, according to the nativist approach, it is evident that the innate state of the brain is normally intentional. Therefore, whenever an individual acquires intentional content, then there is an interaction with the world. The casual theory, therefore, tends to be different from the nativist approach because it argues that the learning of a language is normally not intrinsic to the min (Karen, 2002).

An examination of arguments presented by other sources reveals that there are similarities that exist between the nativist approach and other linguist approaches. The arguments are based on the ability of adults to interpret what is grammatical and what is not grammatical. It is argued that it is the grammatical