First Language Acquisition: Innate or External

All species have the ability to communicate but despite humans and primates sharing a common ancestor only the human race has developed the capability to learn and develop language; using a set of sounds and symbols to impart meaning to one another. Animals have always had the ability to communicate using a limited set of sounds but attempts by scientists to teach animals to use language but have never truly succeeded. It is thought, therefore, to learn and utilise language is one of the defining characteristics of humans. Norman Geschwind (1979) as cited in Fromkin, Rodman, and Hyams (2003: 2), said, “The nervous systems of all animals have a number of basic functions in common, most notably the control of movement and the analysis of sensation. What distinguishes the human brain is the variety of more specialized activities it is capable of learning. The preeminent example is language.” This essay will assess whether first language acquisition is largely a result of natural innate ability, or external factors such as behaviour and environment by examining each of the main theorists in this field.

The ability to acquire language is remarkable and the speed at which children acquire their first language, much faster and easier than adults with superior intellect and experience learn a second language, is extraordinary. “Infants don’t produce their first words until age one or later, but by three or four, they can talk quite fluently about some topics.” (Clark 2003; 16) In ‘An Introduction to Language’, Fromkin, Rodman and Hyams discuss how children, younger than five, know the majority of the complex grammar rules associated with a language before they can perform simple addition despite not being actively taught these rules. (Fromkin, Rodman and Hyams 2003: 324) Due to this, children and their acquisition of a first language has always been the focus of research into language acquisition. Various theories have tried to address how this phenomenon occurs however, almost sixty years later; there is not one definitive answer but three main schools of thought. Behaviourism based on the work of Burhuss Frederic Skinner; Nativist originating in Noam Chomsky’s research; and Cognitive founded in the studies of Jean Piaget.

In 1957 Skinner, an American psychologist published his book, ‘Verbal Behavior’, which proposed children acquire language through their environment, with different conditions producing differing cognitive learning. This was based on his belief that humans learn all behaviours and do not have any innate abilities - similar to a blank slate upon which language is imprinted. Within his model, he argued that children learn the ability to understand language, and then follow on to use words and sentences to communicate. Skinner proposed children gained knowledge of language through the imitation of adults and repetition of words and phrases spoken and learned whether they had pronounced sounds correctly, or in context, through positive reinforcement. Skinner once said, “Give me a child, and I’ll shape him into anything” reinforcing his belief that a child, like a rat being taught to memorise a maze or an animal being conditioned to push a button, can be trained to learn language in the same way they can learn any other behaviours.

Although the Behaviourism theory is a popular view, with many parents believing this is how their child learns how language, it is not without criticism. Behaviourism does not account for how children learn the complex grammatical structure of language as these cannot be taught through repetition and practice, or the grammatical errors that occur. It also does not allow for the creativity of a child in constructing its own sentences, nor the infinite number of sentences, which can be constructed and are impossible to learn by rote. Behaviourism also does not factor in the different ways of learning and how language continues to develop when reinforcement is removed. Eve Clark, Professor of Linguistics at Stanford University, discusses in her book, ‘First Language Acquisition’, how it is probable that children worldwide generally, regardless of their environment, develop language acquisition skills and have an understanding of similar concepts at the same age. This is directly opposed to Skinner’s view that the environment teaches language development. (Clark 2003:5) The flaws in Skinners theory are also demonstrated by (Fromkin, Rodman, and Hyams 2003:325) which states, “Imitation is involved to some extent…but the early words and sentences that children produce show that they are not simply imitating adult speech,”

While Behaviourism could be seen to explain how children learn some of the more standard aspects of language, it could also be argued that it is more of a theory for the very early stages of language development, or perhaps a simplistic view, as acquiring a first language is much more complex than the theory allows for.

The publication of Skinner’s model, and the aforementioned criticisms or limitations, provoked more research and, two years later, an alternative theory by Noam Chomsky was produced. Although acknowledging the environment plays a part, albeit small, Chomsky was heavily critical of Skinner’s work with his own theory concluding children were actually born with an innate predisposition to learn and understand language.

According to Chomsky (1994) as cited in Fromkin, Rodman, and Hyams (2003:330), "We are designed to walk... That we are taught to walk is impossible. And pretty much the same is true of language. Nobody is taught language. In fact you can't prevent the child from learning it." Chomsky set out to explain that language acquisition is a biological programme, developing in a similar way to any other natural function, proposing the human brain had evolved to contain an understanding of language from the moment of birth. This proposed innate ability was termed a Language Acquisition Device (LAD), later expanded and labelled ‘Universal Grammar’, which Chomsky believed, is within in every human brain and enables children to make use of the principles of language. Chomsky believed once ‘Universal Grammar’ is activated, through a baby hearing human speech, the child is able to learn the structure of language.

Supporters of this school of thought believe the LAD explains the speed at which children learn language, the commonalities in language stages across cultures, grammar features common to all languages, and the way in which deaf children’s language shares signs and structures. Affirming this viewpoint is credible, (Fromkin, Rodman and Hyams 2003:332), state “There is little doubt that human languages conform to abstract universal principles and that the human brain is specially equipped for acquisition of human