Assignment

According to the nativist perspective, infants are born with special language systems which enable them to easily acquire language, through a language acquisition device (LAD).  Studies of the Wild Boy of Aveyron support the idea that we must learn language during a critical period of our development.  Learning theorists, however, believe that children learn language from the stimuli they are exposed to in their environment.

Conduct your own research on these 2 perspectives.  After reflecting on your research and your own observations, in a 1-2 page paper, discuss your thoughts.  Which theory do you find more credible?  Explain your opinion using examples and findings from your research.