There are many researchers who put forward extensive theories
with respect to language acquisition, but following are the most
popular theories (that in fat offer opposing explanations of the
phenomenon)
- Behaviourists, like B.F. Skinner proposed that
language acquisition, like any other behaviour, was learned from
the environment through classical conditioning (learning through
association), operant conditioning (learning thorough reward and
punishment) or even social learning (learning through
observation).
- Noam Chomsky, one of the forerunners of
linguistic psychology, proposed that language is a complex and
intricate skill that cannot just be learned from the environment.
He conceptualized the “Language Acquisition Device” as an innate
area in the brain that allows humans to master any language.