Discussion Post

Discussion Post

[Name of the Writer]

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Discussion Post

Part 1

Language plays a critical role in human development as it enables a person to communicate appropriately. There are critical periods for language development which include linguistics, vision, imprinting, auditory processing, memory, and vestibular system (Ruben, 1997). These periods are critically linked with ones cognitive ability to perform regular tasks. The case study of Genie, the isolated and neglected girl till the age of 13, is the best example for language development and cognitive disability (Curtiss et al. 1974). Moreover, another prominent example of language development can be taken from deaf children who have their hearing restored by cochlear implants. Both cases studies have one thing in common, and that is children who were left isolated and were later treated by child psychologists who helped them learn language linguistics and other cognitive abilities. These relevant research findings have helped many children with language disabilities. These have been highlighted as the most prominent child development cases in history.

Part 2

The learning theory of language development states that people adapt language through interacting with one another, as well as through castigation and plunders. Children adjust to cognitive skills through reinforcement by the adults around them. However, while comparing the nativist theory of language development, it is important to differentiate that it deals with more biological factors (Karmiloff-Smith, 2018). Humans have an innate ability to develop language as this theory is defended by a Language-Acquisition Device (LAD) developed by a theorist. It is a part of an organ in our brain which enables us to learn and develop cognitive and language skills to communicate effectively. How we build language can be best captured through the perspective of hearing and observing. It allows us to grasp the basic rules of “learning by observation” as the central concept (Cook, 2016). One theory relies much emphasize on the biological side while the other does not consider it enough.

References

Cook, V. (2016). Second language learning and language teaching. Routledge.

Curtiss, S., Fromkin, V., Krashen, S., Rigler, D., & Rigler, M. (1974). The linguistic development of Genie. Language, 528-554.

Karmiloff-Smith, A. (2018). Development itself is the key to understanding developmental disorders. In Thinking Developmentally from Constructivism to Neuroconstructivism(pp. 97-117). Routledge.

Ruben, R. J. (1997). A time frame of critical/sensitive periods of language development. Acta oto-laryngologica, 117(2), 202-205.