Operant conditioning is considered to be a type of learning in which a person or animal’s behaviors are strengthened if followed by a reinforcer, or diminished if followed by a punisher. This concept alone helps in the development of our language acquisition because as children we are growing and developing in our own ways. When provided a reinforcer - a cookie or a new toy - as a child for correctly saying a word, the child would be more likely to say that word again. In a child’s babbling stage of life, they develop their own sort of language, unique and not like any other language. They then progress through the one-word stage where they can utter one word at a time, then to the two-word phase where they are able to use two words, mostly a noun and a verb, to describe their feelings and emotions. Operant conditioning can play a big role in their language acquisition through these stages because it can help children to understand that if something is said right or done well, they will be reinforced for it, yet if they say something bad or hurtful, they will be punished.
Positive Reinforcement: Increasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli, such as food. A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response…show more content… By shaping children to learn a certain language, they will progressively learn the desired language when they are appraised with a clap or a “you did it!”. This reassures the child that they are doing a great job and, as they progress from the babbling stage to the one-word stage and then the two-word stage, they will eventually be able to make sentences and say phrases. Shaping a child by using positive reinforcements will help them to progressively learn a desired language because it assures them that they are saying and doing things