Definition
A set of theories which contend that human abilities and developmental processes are innate and hard-wired at birth. These theories inform beliefs about developmental processes most closely associated with initial language acquisition.
Description
Language acquisition is the study of the processes by which a person learns a language. Nativist theories hypothesize that language is an innate fundamental part of the human genetic make-up and that language acquisition occurs as a natural part of the human experience. Nativist theorists argue that children are born with an innate ability to organize laws of language, which enables children to easily learn a native language. They believe that children have language-specific abilities that assist them as they work towards mastering a language. This notion is often times contrasted to the behavioralist perspectives of Skinner and Watson who argued that language (i.e.,...
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References
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Litchfield, K.A., Lambert, M.C. (2011). Nativist Theory. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_1911
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_1911
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