The social-interactionist theory in child language acquisition recognises both our genetic predisposition for learning language (like the Nativist Theory) and the importance of our social environment in developing language (like the Behavioral Theory). So, you could see the interactionist theory as a compromise between the two! It also emphasises the importance of interaction with other people in acquiring and developing language skills. Show The theory was first suggested by Jerome Bruner in 1983 who believed that, although children do have an innate ability to learn language, they also require plenty of direct contact and interaction with others to achieve full language fluency. This means that they can't learn to speak just by watching TV or listening to conversations; they have to fully engage with others and understand the contexts in which language is used. Caregivers tend to provide the linguistic support that helps a child learn to speak. They correct mistakes, simplify their own speech and build the scaffolding that helps a child to develop language. This support from caregivers can also be referred to as the 'Language Acquisition Support System' (LASS). The interactionist approach looks at both social and biological perspectives to explain how children develop language. It moves away from Noam Chomsky's Nativist Theory which failed to recognise the importance of the social environment in language acquisition. The interactionist theory also suggests that:
Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) first laid the foundations for the interactionist point of view when he developed the sociocultural theory of language development. Vygotsky suggested that children acquire their cultural values and beliefs through interacting and collaborating with more knowledgeable people in their community (conveniently called the 'more knowledgeable other'). He also emphasised the importance of the cultural and social context in language learning, arguing that social learning often comes before language development. In other words, we pay a lot of attention to the world, the culture, and the people around us! Interactionist Theory exampleThink about how different cultures have different cultural norms that affect the language they use, e.g., Brits may have a better understanding of sarcasm, which is common in the British language. Vygotsky argued that these social understandings are learned through social interaction, especially with caregivers in early development. Vygotsky developed key concepts such as:
Let's have a look at some of the key concepts within the interactionist theory such as scaffolding, the Language Acquisition Support System, and Child-Directed Speech. What is scaffolding?Bruner used the concept of 'scaffolding' to explain the role of caregivers in child language development. He first developed the idea from Vygotsky's theory of proximal development which emphasised that children need a more knowledgeable other to develop their knowledge and skills. Think of scaffolding on a building - it is there to support the building whilst the bricks and windows are being put into place before it is then gradually removed once the building is finished and stable. Bruner argued that caregivers provide the same kind of support for children. They provide support (referred to as the 'Language Acquisition Support System' (LASS) and this is gradually removed as the child learns and develops by themselves. LASS is a term used to describe the support from caregivers/parents/teachers in a child's early language development. They provide active support in social interactions such as:
Bruner developed the concept of the LASS in response to Noam Chomsky's Language Acquisition Device (LAD). Both concepts of the LASS and LAD argue that we are born with an innate ability to acquire language, however, the LASS takes this one step further, arguing that we also require interaction with others to learn. Child-directed speech (CDS for short) refers to the way in which caregivers and adults typically speak to children. It is thought to enhance communication between child and caregiver by helping the child to identify sounds, syllables, and words in sentences. The slow and melodic speech is also thought to hold the attention of toddlers. What are examples of Child-Directed Speech?
Evidence for Interactionist TheoryThe interactionist theory is supported by some studies that emphasise the importance of interaction in language learning. This includes the following:
Limitations of Interactionist TheoryThere are some limitations to the interactionist theory:
Interactionist Theory - Key takeaways
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