Psycholinguistic Model

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Assignment #1: Psycholinguistic Model

Jamil M. Osorio Lopez – S00700772


Class: ENED-403 Teach Oral Communication ESL
Professor: Denise Torres
Universidad Ana G. Mendez
Recinto de Cupey

Psycholinguistic Model

If you thought school was the main avenue in to learning a language, think again. The

psycholinguistic model offers us insight into what the main aspect of language development

actually is. Psycholinguistics constitutes an interdisciplinary combination of linguistics and

psychology (Rimbey C, 2022). This means that the development of how we learn a language is

not just tied to our production of it but also our psychological development as an individual. The

main focus of the field of psycholinguistics is the search for knowledge and understanding of

how humans acquire, generate, and receive language (Rimbey C, 2022). The psychoanalytic

theory posits that our childhood experiences and unconscious desires shape our behavior

(Johnson A, 2018). We cannot see it solely on academic means that we generate and receive

language, as language itself is a very social aspect of humans and can be learned in our

development in society. It falls into different subfields which help us expand on our knowledge

and understanding. The ones that have a great deal of importance in this field are language

acquisition, linguistic structure, and the behaviorist theory.

Language acquisition exists in two categories: first-language acquisition and second-

language acquisition (Roberson K, 2019). The first is a universal process, babies will listen to the

sounds around them and begin to imitate them as they eventually start to produce words. The
second one, uses the basis of the first one to learn the elements of a new language, such as

vocabulary, phonological components, grammatical structures, and writing systems. This means

that a non-native English speaker will use the base of their native tongue to begin the learning

process of acquiring the skills to understand English. This will fall into different stages: pre-

production, early production, speech emergent, beginning fluency, intermediate fluency, and

finally, advance fluency. In short, we start by a “silent period” in which the individual begins to

learn the language but cannot speak it, usually taking in context clues to begin forming the

meaning behind the sounds and words (Robertson K, 2019). Finally, ending in being able to

communicate fluently in all contexts and maneuver easily through new information that is being

received. The basis of language acquisition is an important aspect of our social development as

well as the way that we begin to learn it in an academic setting.

Linguistic structure refers to the recurring regularities in spoken language as described by

linguistic theories, such as what are the basic building blocks of speech and how they organized

(Rasanen O, 2021). This falls into different subfields, such as: phonology, phonetics, syntax,

morphology, semantics, and pragmatics. Phonology and phonetics deal with the study of how

sound is formed and received. Syntax analyzing the word order and the meanings that can be

created with the organization of it. Morphology breaks down words to look at its individual

meaning. Semantics focuses on the whole meaning of words, and finally, pragmatics considers

meaning and interpretation. These subfields give structure to how we understand, receive, and

use the English language. The depth of these is immense and it all comes together so that we can

communicate and understand how the process of language acquisition actually works.

The behaviorist theory of language development comes from the work of B.F. Skinner

(Rimbey C, 2022). Condition is another aspect which plays an important role in the development
of a language. The theory of operant condition is a method of learning in which repeated

reinforcement can be utilized to bring about a targeted behavioral response (Cherry K, 2022). We

can interpret this as a way in which as we grow older and develop our speech, as we engage with

this second language more and more through repeated use, we begin to build a structure in which

we can start to use the language. If a person that already has a basis in a first language begins to

learn English as a second language in a country where it is the native tongue, through reinforced

condition they will begin to pick up some of the language because of the environment they are

in. It might suffer in the areas of pronunciation and grammar, but communication can be

achieved between an individual that has English as a second language and a native speaker.

In conclusion, the psycholinguistic process is one of great importance towards the oral

and written aspects of the English language. Language acquisition, language structure and

behaviorist theory all play a role in an individuals development of English as a second language.

In an academic setting, understanding these concepts is paramount into our analysis of how we

can teach our students the techniques and reassurances that their process of learning a new

language is something that takes time and can be arduous depending on personal difficulties they

might face. Some might end up learning English from school, others might develop it in their

environment (home, community) socially through their peers. It is up to us to give them the

structure to learn the language in a manner in which it is appropriate in an oral and grammatical

context. Because with better understanding they can also help provides others with a basis in

which they can practice the language and also become more adept learners.
References

 Chad Rimbey, 2022. What are psycholinguistics and Linguistic Psychology.

https://study.com/learn/lesson/psycholinguistics-concept-theory.html

 Andrew Johnson, 2018. The Psycholinguistic Model of Reading.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/psycholinguistic-model-reading-andrew-johnson

 Kristina Robertson, 2019. Language Acquisition: An Overview

https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/language-acquisition-overview

 Kendra Cherry, 2022. What is Operant Conditioning Theory?

https://www.verywellmind.com/operant-conditioning-a2-2794863

 Okko Räsänen, 2021. Linguistic Structure of Speech.

https://wiki.aalto.fi/display/ITSP/Linguistic+structure+of+speech

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