The Behaviorist Perspective
B.F. Skinner (1957) Proposed that language, like any other behavior, is acquired through operant conditioning. As the baby makes sounds, parents reinforce those that are most like words smiles, hugs, and speech in return.
The Nativist Perpective
Linguist Noam Chomsky (1957) argued that all children have a language acquisition device (LAD), an innate system in their brain that contains universal grammar, or set of rules common to all languages.
The Interactionist Perspective
Interactionists argue that children develop language because of their need to communicate, to interact socially with people around them. Their central premise is that children's social competencies and language experiences greatly affect their language progress.
Theories of Language Development
Berk, L. E. (2012). Infants and Children: Prenatal Through Middle Childhood. Boston: Pearson.