HED4807 Assignment 2 Semester 1 2026 – Due 11 June 2026

Description

HED4807 ASSIGNMENT 2 2026
DUE 11 JUNE 2026

QUESTION 1

Four Dominant Theoretical Perspectives of Home Language Acquisition
1. The Behaviourist Perspective

The key theorist associated with this perspective is B.F. Skinner. The primary
mechanism driving language development is imitation and positive reinforcement.
According to behaviourism, children learn their first language by listening to and
repeating adult speech (HED4807, 2026, p.5). When children receive positive
reinforcement such as praise or rewards, they are likely to repeat sounds, words and
sentences. This process, called operant conditioning, continues until using the language
correctly becomes a habit. The environment plays a crucial role as children need
exposure to a language-rich environment to acquire language.

2. The Nativist (Innatist) Perspective

Noam Chomsky is the key theorist for this perspective. The primary mechanism is an
innate, biological ability to acquire language. Chomsky argued that children are born