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Language Acquistion from the Perspective of the Nature vs. Nurture

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Does evidence support a "nature" or "nurture" view of human language acquisition and why? Attached are some references, but you may use your own if scholarly.

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This solution examines language acquisition from the perspective of the nature vs. nurture controversy.

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"Does evidence support a "nature" or "nurture" view of human language acquisition and why?

Research suggests that regarding the nature versus nurture debate the focus of attention has primarily been on intelligence quotas (IQ). However, recent research has emphasized the role of biological systems related to speech and language and the resulting influence on language acquisition. For instance, some studies suggest that language is a learned behavior. (McCabe, 1989). Based on the nature view, the human brain is predisposed in various linguistic ways. According to McCabe, like many other complex human activities language acquisition is based on interactions. Thus, based on this view, the human brain is predisposed in various linguistic ways that children emulate the language of others.

Other studies point to the importance of genetic factors associated with children's ability to communicated, which is related to the IQ of the biological mother (e.g., Plomin, Defried, & Fulker, 1998 as cited in Van Hulle, Goldsmith, & Lemery, 2004). They assert that children and adults rely on general intellectual capacities and on other people to develop language. Van Hulle ...

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