This document discusses several questions regarding language acquisition in children: whether children acquire language through imitation, if language learning involves learning rules, and if correcting children's errors helps their learning. It also examines how children produce novel utterances and generalize rules. The document explores theories of language learning, including behaviorism, and debates whether correcting mistakes aids children or is frustrating.

1. Khansa AL-Qudaimi

2. 


Do children acquire the language by
imitation?
Does learning a language involve
learning a set of rules?
Does correcting children’s errors
assist their language learning?

3.  Do
children acquire the language
by imitation?

4. -
-
-
-
How do children produce novel utterances?
Why do children generalize some of the
grammatical rules as the plural “s”, the past
tense “ed”?
Why do children generate some
ungrammatical sentences in forming
negation and question?
What aspects of language do children
acquire by imitation?

5. 
The process of
decoding the speech
signal in order to
understand the spoken
message. This process
involves complex
physiological and
psychological
mechanisms. (McAllister,

The process of
encoding the intended
message into a
linguistic form by
involving complex
physiological and
psychological
mechanisms. (Hickok,
2012)
2003, p. 177)
Speech Comprehension
Speech Production

6. Acoustic
input
phonemes
Syllables
words

8. Concept
Words
Structure
Articulatory
level

10.  Does
learning a language involve
learning a set of rules?

11. (Chomsky, 1972, p.26)

14. 
We holded rabbits.
(Onnis, Roberts & Chater, 2002)

15. 


Suzy: Don’t make me lost it.
Father: No, don’t make me lose it.
Suzy: No, not lose … losed !

17. 
No heavy

18. 

Is I can do that?
Is you should eat the apple?
These sentences are formed on the basis of
sentences like:


Is uncle getting dinner ready?
Is daddy staying out tonight?

19.  Does
correcting children’s
mistakes assist their language
learning?

20. 










Child: Want other one spoon, Daddy.
Father: you mean, you want the other spoon.
Child: yes, I want other one spoon, please Daddy.
Father: Can you say “the other spoon”?
Child: Other … one … spoon.
Father: Say “other”.
Child: Other.
Father: “Spoon”.
Child: Spoon.
Father: “Other spoon”.
Child: Other spoon. Now, give me other one
spoon.

21. 

Correction of children speech typically takes
the form of a corrected repetition of the
child’s utterance.
When parents try to correct their children’s
speech, the results are often fruitless and
frustrating.

22. 
It’s quite a burden for a child to correct
some mistakes because s/he has to:
1. Note the difference between her own
utterances with that of her parents.
2. Determine what the nature of the error is.
3. Figure out a way to permanently change her
grammar or strategies so that it yields the
parents utterances in the future.

23. 
This is not the case with older children who
will be able to correct their mistakes.

25. 






Demirezen, M. (1988). Behaviourist theory and language
learning. Hacettepe Vniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi , 135140.
Hickok, G. (2012). Computational neuroanatomy of speech
production. Nature Reviews Neuroscience , 135-145.
Hickok, G. (2009). The functional neuroanatomy of language.
Physics of Life Reviews , 121-143.
Lanir, L. (2012, 12 7). First language acquisition theories: Nature
vs. nurture. Retrieved from Decoded Science:
http://www.decodedscience.com
McAllister, R. (2003). A speech comprehension measurement
tool: Normalization and measurement of perceptual foreign
accent. PHONUM , 177-180.
Onnis, L., Roberts, M., & Nick, C. (n.d.). Simplicity: A cure for
overgeneralizations in language acquisition?
Williamson, G. (2009, 10 7). Phonetics. Retrieved from speech
therapy information and resources: http://www.speech-therapyinformation-and-resources.com/phonetics.html