Psycholinguistic Model
Psycholinguistic Model
Psycholinguistic Model
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
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
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
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
https://study.com/learn/lesson/psycholinguistics-concept-theory.html
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/psycholinguistic-model-reading-andrew-johnson
https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/language-acquisition-overview
https://www.verywellmind.com/operant-conditioning-a2-2794863
https://wiki.aalto.fi/display/ITSP/Linguistic+structure+of+speech