An example of learning language through reinforcement occurs when a two-year-old child says, “me juice,” to ask for a drink. The mother responds by giving him a cup of apple juice, thereby reinforcing and rewarding his communication attempt.

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B. F. Skinner proposed a behaviorist approach to language learning, asserting that language is learned through reinforcement.

Skinner's Theory of Language Acquisition

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

The debate over how language is acquired is prominently framed by the contrasting theories of B. F. Skinner and Noam Chomsky. Skinner's behaviorist approach argues that language is learned through external reinforcement (nurture), while Chomsky's nativist perspective contends that it stems from an innate, biological predisposition (nature).

Comparison of Language Acquisition Theories: Skinner vs. Chomsky

Noam Chomsky criticized the behaviorist approach to language learning, asserting instead that the mechanisms underlying language acquisition are biologically determined.

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