Theories of Language Development

Language development.

How do we understand how a child learns language? Is it through the environment, the child himself, or a mix of both? In this article, language development is analysed through developmental theories.

There are three main theories in language development for young children: Behaviourist, Maturationist/Nativist, and Constructivist/Interactionist. In this article, these theories will be articulated and referenced with real-life examples.

Firstly, the behaviourist understands that children learn language through the environment, be it through conditioning or reinforcements, and that children are mere learners of knowledge (Chen, 2020). John Watson and B. F. Skinner were two such proponents for this school of thought. A child learns language as he or she receives conditioning, reinforcement, and imitates others through the words and behaviours of adults in a repetitive manner (Lemetyinen, 2023). Rewards and punishments are often used in a behaviourist teacher’s classroom, so to teach writing or spelling, a teacher might give rewards such as stickers. This is a common occurrence in Singapore.

Secondly, the maturationist or nativist believes that children are born with a Language Acquisition Device or LAD, that every child is capable of mastering any language and that certain milestones happen between 40 weeks and 5 years, so every child should be respected in terms of their individual growth and development (Chen, 2020). Arnold Gesell is one such psychologist who subscribed to the maturationist theory. A key difference between the maturationist and behaviourist educators is that the behaviourist puts more emphasis on the stimuli outside of the child. However, language could never be learned through external sources without internal elements, since the LAD predisposes children to learn language during a critical period, because even in poor learning environments, a child could still acquire languages (Lemetyinen, 2023). In a maturationist classroom, the teacher does not in any way force a child to do writing until the child is developmentally ready. Rarely does this happen in Singapore.

Lastly, the interactionist or constructivist theory believes that a child learns through his or her exploration and discovery within the learning environment, and as such, they are not mere passive learners but active discoverers of knowledge (Chen, 2020). Two of such well-known theorists are Vygotsky and Piaget. Constructivists understand that children create their own knowledge as they interact and experience the world around them, so the curriculum has to be more learner-centred with teachers acting as facilitators rather than givers of knowledge, while providing a rich learning environment with social interactions (McLeod, 2025). A constructivist classroom has the teacher not giving the answers but allowing children to explore and learn. Learning centres will be print-rich with writing tools, so children will explore writing on their own terms.

 

References

Chen, D. (2020). ECE108 Supporting communication and emergent literacy through play. Singapore: Singapore University of Social Sciences.

Lemetyinen, H. (2023, September 7). Language Acquisition Theory. Retrieved from Simply Psychology: https://www.simplypsychology.org/language.html

McLeod, S. (2025, March 31). Constructivism Learning Theory & Philosophy of Education. Retrieved from Simply Psychology: https://www.simplypsychology.org/constructivism.html