Language acquisition and classical conditioning.

Abstract

In this paper it is argued that first language acquisition is essentially based on a process which is, if not identical, at least very similar to classical conditioning. It is first shown that the acquisition of comprehension of a young child is based on exposure to pairing situations in which a verbal stimulus S1 is paired with some other stimulus S2. Then the similarities and differences between such an exposure and undergoing a classical conditioning process are investigated. The investigation suggests that there is no fundamental difference between both processes. Finally, attention is called to the fact that acquisition of speech is essentially based on acquisition of comprehension. It is therefore concluded that not only the acquisition of comprehension but also that of speech is based on a process that is very similar to classical conditioning.