Which approach claims language development grows from language use and is embedded in the experiences of its users?

Which approach claims language development grows from language use and is embedded in the experiences of its users?

• A. Cognitive-developmentalist theory of LA
• B. Innatist theory of LA
• C. Universal Grammar
• D. The Silent Way

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that language develops from how we actually use it in real life and from the experiences we share with others. The cognitive-developmentalist view sees language as growing out of general cognitive development and social interaction. As children engage with people, solve problems, and participate in meaningful communication, they build and refine linguistic knowledge. In other words, language isn’t pre-wired as a full system; it emerges from using language in authentic contexts, shaped by what learners experience and notice in their world. This fits because the emphasis is on use and experience driving growth, rather than on an inborn set of grammatical rules. The other options point to different ideas: innatist theory and Universal Grammar advocate for intrinsic grammatical knowledge present at birth, while The Silent Way is a teaching method that focuses on learner discovery rather than a theory about how language develops from use in experience.

The main idea here is that language develops from how we actually use it in real life and from the experiences we share with others. The cognitive-developmentalist view sees language as growing out of general cognitive development and social interaction. As children engage with people, solve problems, and participate in meaningful communication, they build and refine linguistic knowledge. In other words, language isn’t pre-wired as a full system; it emerges from using language in authentic contexts, shaped by what learners experience and notice in their world.

This fits because the emphasis is on use and experience driving growth, rather than on an inborn set of grammatical rules. The other options point to different ideas: innatist theory and Universal Grammar advocate for intrinsic grammatical knowledge present at birth, while The Silent Way is a teaching method that focuses on learner discovery rather than a theory about how language develops from use in experience.