There are numerous things that differentiate humans from our mammalian family, one of them being our ability to utilize language. Language is a gathering of apparently random symbols that can be combined to express ideas, thoughts, and feelings (Piotrowski, 2003). Be that as it may, not all language is verbalized, for those who are deaf modifications have been made to allow them to communicate at the same level as the rest of their species, thus the creation of American Sign Language (ASL) which can be referred to as a manual-visual language (Thomas-Cottingham, 2004). Language is a key component of our very human nature because it is a vital articulation of culture, beliefs that are shared through ethnic, social, and religious groups which
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One popular, yet controversial theory, is Chomsky’s theory of universal grammar. In this theory Chomsky suggest that all children are born with an internal device that allows them to understand and produce language, a piece that he dubbed the language acquisition device (Thomas-Cottingham, 2004). Chomsky’s theory states that it is a universal pathway in our language development, it begins with the child cooing which is playing with vowel sounds, then it moves to babbling which is stringing consonants and vowels together in a nonsense order. Later gestures are developed by children to communicate their needs and by their first birthday they have spoken their first words. Through the ages of one to five word combinations are attempted, the vocabulary grows exponentially, and formal education is used to increase a child’s vocabulary, sentence complexity, and subtle usages (Piotrowski, 2003). However this theory was controversial to most, for example B. F. Skinner believed that language acquisition is learned. Skinner suggests that language is acquired through our interactions with the environment and the nature versus nurture theory is heavy handed in shaping this experience. For example, when a child speaks their first word a parents reaction will determine how and if a child continues to learn. However Skinner’s theory
One popular, yet controversial theory, is Chomsky’s theory of universal grammar. In this theory Chomsky suggest that all children are born with an internal device that allows them to understand and produce language, a piece that he dubbed the language acquisition device (Thomas-Cottingham, 2004). Chomsky’s theory states that it is a universal pathway in our language development, it begins with the child cooing which is playing with vowel sounds, then it moves to babbling which is stringing consonants and vowels together in a nonsense order. Later gestures are developed by children to communicate their needs and by their first birthday they have spoken their first words. Through the ages of one to five word combinations are attempted, the vocabulary grows exponentially, and formal education is used to increase a child’s vocabulary, sentence complexity, and subtle usages (Piotrowski, 2003). However this theory was controversial to most, for example B. F. Skinner believed that language acquisition is learned. Skinner suggests that language is acquired through our interactions with the environment and the nature versus nurture theory is heavy handed in shaping this experience. For example, when a child speaks their first word a parents reaction will determine how and if a child continues to learn. However Skinner’s theory