新编简明英语语言学教程-第二版-戴炜栋10-Language-Acquisition

Chapter10LanguageacquisitionLanguageacquisition----referstothechild’sacquisitionofhismothertongue,i.e.howthechildcomestounderstandandspeakthelanguageofhiscommunity.TheoriesofchildlanguageacquisitionAbehaviorist(行为主义者）viewoflanguageacquisition(Skinners)Aninnatist（语法天生主义者）viewoflanguageacquisition(Chomsky)Aninteractionist（互动主义者）viewoflanguageacquisitionAbehavioristviewoflanguageacquisitionTraditionalbehavioristsviewlanguageasbehaviorandbelievethatlanguagelearningissimplyamatterofimitationandhabitformation.ImitationRecognitionReinforcementachildimitatesthesoundspeoplerecognizethechild’sattemptspeoplereinforcetheattemptsbyrespondingdifferentlyTheinadequacyofbehavioristviewliesinexplaininghowchildrenacquirecomplexlanguagesystem.AninnatistviewoflanguageacquisitionAccordingtotheinnatistviewoflanguageacquisition,humanbeingsarebiologicallyprogrammedforlanguageandthatthelanguagedevelopsinthechildjustasotherbiologicalfunctionssuchaswalking.AninteractionistviewoflanguageacquisitionTheinteractionistviewholdsthatlanguagedevelopsasaresultofthecomplexinterplaybetweenthehumancharacteristicsofthechildandtheenvironmentinwhichthechilddevelops.Integratedwiththeinnatistview,theinteractionistfurtherclaimsthatthemodifiedlanguagewhichissuitableforthechild’scapabilityiscrucialinhislanguageacquisition.(motherese保姆式语言)Cognitivedevelopmentinchildlanguagedevelopment1)Languagedevelopmentisdependentonboththeconceptschildrenformabouttheworldandwhattheyfeelstimulatedtocommunicateattheearlyandlaterstagesoftheirlanguagedevelopment.(theacquisitionofperfecttense)2)Thecognitivefactorsdeterminehowthechildmakessenseofthelinguisticsystemhimselfinsteadofwhatmeaningsthechildperceivesandexpresses.(P.146theacquisitionofnegativeform)Languageenvironment&thecriticalperiodhypothesisTwoimportantfactors:thelinguisticenvironmentchildrenareexposedtoandtheagetheystarttolearnthelanguage.(P.147Victor12;Genie13.5)Inbehavioristapproach,languageenvironmentplaysamajorroleinprovidingbothlanguagemodelstobeimitatedandnecessaryfeedbacks.Theinnatistviewemphasizesmoreonchildren’sinternalprocessingofthelanguageitemstobelearnt.Theenvironmentfunctionsasastimulusthattriggersandactivatesthepre-equippedUGtoprocessthematerialsprovidedbythelinguisticenvironmentaroundthechildren.Theinteractionistviewcallsforthequalityofthelanguagesamplesavailableinthelinguisticenvironment,onlywhenthelanguageismodifiedandadjustedtothelevelofchildren’scomprehension,dotheyprocessandinternalizethelanguageitems.CriticalPeriodHypothesis(CPH)----EricLennebergarguesthattheLAD(LanguageAcquisitionDevice),likeotherbiologicalfunctions,workssuccessfullyonlywhenitisstimulatedattherighttime----aspecificandlimitedtimeperiodforlanguageacquisition.ThestrongversionofCPHsuggeststhatchildrenmustacquiretheirfirstlanguagebypuberty(青春期）ortheywillneverbeabletolearnfromsubsequentexposure.Theweakversionholdsthatlanguagelearningwillbemoredifficultandincompleteafterpuberty.(SupportinVictor’sandGenie’scases)StagesinchildlanguagedevelopmentPhonologicaldevelopmentVocabularydevelopment1)Under-extension(abirdisn’tananimal）2)Over-extension(callingallmaleadultsdaddy)Grammaticaldevelopment1)Telegraphicspeech2)CompletesentencesPragmaticdevelopmentAtypicaldevelopmentAtypicalorabnormallanguagedevelopmentoccursduetotraumaorinjury.Atypicallanguagedevelopmentincludes:Hearingimpairment(听觉障碍）Mentalretardation（智力障碍）Autism（自闭症）Stuttering（结巴）Aphasia（失语症）Dyslexia（读写困难）Dysgraphia（书写困难）