1.2.3
Interactionism 2
Interactionism - Grice
Interactionism - Grice
In 1975, Grice proposed a set of maxims to define features which must be present in conversation – he calls these cooperative principles (things which people must do to cooperate in conversation). His maxims are as follows:


1) The maxim of quantity
1) The maxim of quantity
- The contributions must carry enough information (and not too much).


2) The maxim of quality
2) The maxim of quality
- The contributions must be truthful.


3) The maxim of relation
3) The maxim of relation
- The contributions must be relevant and pertinent to discussion.


4) The maxim of manner
4) The maxim of manner
- The contributions must be clear and limit ambiguity.
Challenging Interactionist Theory
Challenging Interactionist Theory
The following theories challenge interactionist theory:


Cliff Pye
Cliff Pye
- Cliff Pye researched how different cultures learn language.
- His research detailed that children around the world acquired language at roughly the same time and that not all cultures used CDS.
- For example, Samoan families do not speak to the children until they are around 18 months old. This implies that language acquisition may be more innate.


Myzor
Myzor
- Myzor believes that CDS helps to aid social development, but does not help linguistic development.
- For example, it may teach children turn-taking in conversation, but not aid their ability to use correct forms.


Chomsky
Chomsky
- Chomsky in particular takes issue with Bruner’s work.
- In 1959, he published a paper criticising Bruner’s theory on a number of flaws.
- Chomsky questions how children produce utterances that are grammatically non-standard to the point where no caregiver would have said them – errors often happen that are not present in the template.


De Villiers and De Villiers
De Villiers and De Villiers
- De Villiers and De Villiers state that it is rare for caregivers to give direct feedback about the correctness of their language, so there must be something more innate.
1Children's Language Development
1.1Stages of Development
1.2Theories of Language Development
Jump to other topics
1Children's Language Development
1.1Stages of Development
1.2Theories of Language Development
Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium
Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions
Mini-mock exams based on your study history
Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books