Analysis of Theories of Language and Communication at the Preschool Level - ERIC
eric.ed.gov
Six landmark theorists — from Skinner's behaviorism to Chomsky's innate grammar — all clash over how toddlers crack the code of human language, and the answer reshapes every preschool classroom.
Language Acquisition Device (Chomsky)BehaviorismZone of Proximal DevelopmentConstructivism
Theory Briefing
- Skinner argued children learn language purely through reinforcement, while Chomsky fired back with his theory of an innate universal grammar hardwired at birth.
- Piaget tied language development to cognitive stages, meaning a child can only learn words their mind is developmentally ready to grasp.
- Vygotsky's social development theory counters the rest by placing interaction and cultural context — not biology or behavior — at the core of early language acquisition.