A teacher believes that humans learn language in the same way as other skills and abilities- through experience. With which theorist would she agree ?

Correct option is C

Skinner was a behaviorist who believed that language learning is a process of operant conditioning. This means that children learn language through reinforcement, or rewards. For example, when a child says a word correctly, they may be praised or rewarded with a smile, which reinforces the behavior and makes them more likely to say the word again. 

Information Booster:

1. Behaviorist Theory (Skinner): Language acquisition is based on reinforcement and imitation. Correct utterances are positively reinforced, encouraging repetition.
2. Imitation: Children mimic words and phrases they hear, gradually constructing meaningful sentences.
3. Reinforcement: Positive feedback (e.g., praise for correct sentences) strengthens language behavior.
4. Stimulus-Response: Environmental stimuli trigger verbal responses, which are shaped into coherent language over time.
5. Criticism: Skinner’s theory does not explain the creativity and complexity of language, as children often produce novel sentences they haven’t heard before 

Additional Knowledge:

(a) Piaget: Language is tied to stages of cognitive development. According to Piaget, as children develop intellectually, they acquire the ability to use and understand language based on their conceptual understanding.

(b) Chomsky: He rejected behaviorism, arguing that humans have an innate ability to learn language through the LAD, making the process unique compared to other learned skills.

(d) Vygotsky: His sociocultural theory highlights the importance of social interaction and scaffolding in language development. He emphasized the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) for learning.