The Development of Speech in Children

557 Words2 Pages

Language is a way to express inner thoughts and beliefs and an important aspect of life. When discussing language development the debate surrounding how we acquire the ability to process language is usually addressed. The on-going debate features the belief of some theorists arguing that language development is the result of nature, i.e. our genes, and others debating it is the result of nurture, i.e. our environment and life experiences. The above statement suggests that Wells’ beliefs lie in between both sides of the debate. He claims that “inherent sociability” is innate and found in everyone, suggesting that language is familiar to us all. Above, Wells also demonstrates that “conversation” between children and their care-givers has an effect on the ability to develop language, suggesting the nurture aspect contributes to the way a child acquires language. Both nature and nurture factors are extreme ends of the argument. Those who argue nature is the main factor in language development argue that our genetic position ...

Open Document