Language is a complex phenomenon. We use it in our daily life to communicate, explore new perceptions and to undergo new experiences. It is present in almost all situations where we are involved in; it is what distinguishes us from whom we are.
Since that our actions are primarily driven by language, you may come to a situation where you contemplate about how come you've acquired your 1st language, or how is it possible that you can distinguish between what is grammatical and what is ungrammatical.
These questions represent only a small portion of what linguists have explored. In fact, the nature of language acquisition has sparked debates and controversies for thousands of years. Due to the complexity of our brains, a consensus on how we acquire language has yet to be reached. In this article, I intend to shed light on some of the famous theories regarding first language acquisition.
Behaviorism: language as a matter of imitating what others say
Behaviorism, a psychology school that emerged in the 20th century, had a significant impact on the research field of language acquisition. Behaviorists assert that acquiring the first language is a matter of stimulus, response, and reinforcement. When a baby is exposed to sounds in their environment, they immediately imitate those sounds. Parents then decide whether to positively reinforce this behavior, which serves as an incentive for the baby to repeat the desired action.
Innatism: Language is innate
Innatism emerged as a reaction to behaviorism, as the latter did not credit humans' innate capability for acquiring their first language. Chomsky proposed that we are all born with a Language Acquisition Device (LAD), and how we acquire a language largely depends on exposure and age. If a child is exposed to a language for a period of approximately four years and does not surpass the age of puberty, they will effortlessly acquire the target language. However, exceeding the age of puberty will result in language learning rather than acquisition.
Constructivism: Acquiring language through experiencing
John Piaget pioneered the constructivist approach, which posits that children actively engage in the process of constructing knowledge about their target language. According to this theory, experience is fundamental to acquiring the first language. Piaget's framework consists of four stages, with the belief that skipping a stage is impossible, although some features may occasionally emerge unpredictably. For example, while Piaget asserted that critical thinking typically occurs during the operational stage (age 11 and above), some children may exhibit it as early as age 7.
Other approaches:
connectivist approach: language acquisition is a result of neural network linking within our brains
Sociocultural approach: Culture provides guidance to some extent, being guided to acquire language up to a specific level.