The role of social interaction, such as conversations and play, in language acquisition and development.
First language acquisition: The process by which a child learns their first language, starting from babbling and progressing to fluency.
Second language acquisition: The process of learning a second language, which may be influenced by the individual's first language.
Social Interaction Theory: The idea that language is acquired through interaction with others in social contexts, rather than solely through innate abilities.
Critical Period Hypothesis: The argument that there is a specific window of time in childhood during which language acquisition is most efficient.
Universal Grammar: The theory that there is an underlying set of grammatical principles common to all languages that are innate to humans.
Innateness hypothesis: The idea that certain aspects of language are innate, and that the human brain is specially adapted for language learning.
Input and Output: The idea that language acquisition requires both input, through exposure to language, and active output, through practice and production.
Cognitive Development Theory: The argument that language acquisition is linked to overall cognitive development, and that language skills are acquired through a complex interplay of mental processes and experiences.
Interactional competence: The ability to use language appropriately in social contexts, including understanding and appropriately responding to others' intentions and needs.
Overgeneralization: The phenomenon of applying a rule or pattern of language too broadly, as when a child says "goed" instead of "went".
Socialization process: The ways in which children are taught the social norms and expectations of their culture through language.
Language Variation: The ways in which language use and structure vary across geographic regions, cultural groups, and individuals.
Language Acquisition Device (LAD): The theoretical construct proposed by Noam Chomsky that explains how children are born with an innate ability to learn language.
Linguistic relativity: The idea that the structure of a language influences the way its speakers perceive and understand the world around them.
Sociolinguistics: The study of how social factors, such as class, ethnicity, and gender, affect the use of language.
Cognitive Language Acquisition: This is the process by which a child learns language skills through observation and comprehension.
Social Interactionist Language Acquisition: This approach emphasizes the social context of learning and argues that language is acquired through social interactions, such as conversation and joint attention.
Neurobiological Language Acquisition: This type of language acquisition focuses on the role of the brain in language development, including how different areas of the brain are involved in language processing.
Input-Based Language Acquisition: In this type of language acquisition, language learning is heavily influenced by the input that a child receives from their environment. This can include exposure to different languages at an early age, high-quality language input, and access to language-rich environments.
Sociocultural Language Acquisition: This approach emphasizes the role of culture in language learning and argues that language is acquired through participation in cultural practices and activities.
Constructivist Language Acquisition: This type of language acquisition suggests that children actively construct their own understanding of language through exploring and experimenting with language.
Interactional Language Acquisition: This approach argues that language is acquired through social interaction, and that children learn through exchanging cues and signals with others.
Communicative Language Teaching: This approach prioritizes communication over grammar and focuses on developing the ability to communicate effectively in real-life situations.
Functional Language Acquisition: This approach emphasizes the practical purposes of language use, such as communicating needs and wants, and understanding instructions.
Situated Language Acquisition: This approach focuses on the importance of context in language learning, arguing that language is most effectively acquired when it is used in meaningful, real-world situations.