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Behaviourism

The theory of behaviourism is often accredited to B. F. Skinner. Skinner says that a child learns language based on positive and negative reinforcement of ideas.

Examples

Examples

  • For example, when a child correctly calls a dog "a dog", a caregiver may say something positive like ‘yes, that’s the dog’ to reinforce the idea.
  • Similarly, when an incorrect utterance is produced, like the child calling a dog a cat, the caregiver may say something negative, like ‘no, that’s not a cat, it’s a dog’. Tone of voice and paralinguistic features will often assist with this.
What to do in the exam

What to do in the exam

  • In the exam, look for the caregivers repeating and reinforcing utterances made by the child.
Jump to other topics
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Language Levels

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Language, The Individual & Society

3

Language Diversity & Change

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