Several factors influence the process of language acquisition in infants. The speech development stage in babies tends to vary from one child to another, making them have different abilities. Majorly various scholars have connected the steps with both biological and environmental factors. Generally, children are born with genetically programmed linguistic structure that determines their potential to speak. Biological, interactionist, and environmental theories have been developed to provide an insight into language development.
Biological Theory
This theory is also known as nativist, and it was developed by Noam Chomsky. According to Chomsky, children are born with a language acquisition device (LAD) (BBC Radio 4, 2015). LAD enables kids to interpret and make sense of the knowledge through constructing novel words. He argues that environmental experience is not enough for newborns to learn vocabulary. The nature of the human brain makes it possible for infants to acquire new terms.
Interactionist Theory
This theory suggests that people tend to learn from one another. According to the concept, the ability of children to develop language significantly depends on the people who interact with them (Santrock, 2019). Therefore, if the individuals are good communicators, it implies the kid will easily and quickly learn how to speak. The social behavior of adults plays an essential role in nurturing infants’ vocabularies and how they pass information.
Environmental Theory
This model claims that children’s language development is conditioned by the nature of their surroundings. Children learn through imitating what adults do, and that applies to the learning of vocabulary. Parents have the ability to nurture and influence their kid’s speech by using the right terms frequently (Santrock, 2019). Toddlers will tend to use the words they hear from older people around them and adapt to using them.
In conclusion, language development is influenced by various factors, including biological and surrounding. Children learn and develop their vocabularies from words they hear from caregivers or parents. Therefore, adults have a great deal to influence the speech progress in infants. All kids have the LAD that aids their communication advancement; however, the overall environment is effective in determining the ease and speed of learning new words.
References
BBC Radio 4 (2015). Noam Chomsky on Language Acquisition. YouTube. Web.
Santrock, J. W. (2019). A topical approach to life-span development (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.