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BEHAVIORAL STUDY OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION IN THE BLIND
Sabu a Khudayo o a
TSUULL basic doc o al s uden
Anno a ion
This a icle analyzes he issues o language acquisi ion based on he beha io is ic
app oach and i s applica ion in he language acquisi ion p ocess o he isually
impai ed. Fu he mo e, he ad an ages, limi a ions, and p ac ical applica ion
possibili ies o he heo y a e highligh ed. The iews o beha io is schola s on how
he language lea ning p ocess is shaped by ex e nal en i onmen al in luences,
expe iences, and ein o cemen a e p esen ed.
Keywo ds: Beha io ism, language acquisi ion, isually impai ed, s imulus- esponse,
ein o cemen , imi a ion, ac ile pe cep ion.
Language is one o he mos impo an mani es a ions o human consciousness. The e
a e a ious heo ies abou he na u e o language acquisi ion, among which
beha io ism s udies language in ela ion o he ex e nal en i onmen . This end, which
eme ged in he ea ly 20 h cen u y, explains human beha io , including he o ma ion
o speech, based on expe ience.
The issue o language lea ning is one o he mos impo an opics in he ields o
psycholinguis ics and pedagogy. The heo y o beha io ism (J. Wa son, B. Skinne )
[1] explains language acquisi ion in e ms o condi ioned e lexes based on s imulus-
esponse. Acco ding o his app oach, a pe son acqui es language h ough di ec
expe ience, p ac ice, and ewa d.
Acco ding o he p inciples o beha io is heo y:
* Language acquisi ion is o med h ough esponses o ex e nal s imuli (wo ds, sounds,
ges u es).
* Repe i ion and p ac ice ein o ce language ma e ial.
* A sys em o ewa ds and punishmen s helps o ein o ce co ec speech o ms.
This heo y is o pa icula impo ance in s udying he p ocess o language acquisi ion
by blind people. Beha io ism iews language lea ning as a se o habi s o med unde
he in luence o he ex e nal en i onmen , a he han an in e nal inna e abili y o
men al p ocess. Thus, o a blind child, he main ole is played by hea ing, ac ile
sensa ions, and he eac ions o o he s.
The main ools o language acquisi ion in blind child en a e no ision, bu :
* Hea ing (speech, sound, musical signals),
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* Bodily sensa ions ( ac ile expe ience),
* Ve bal epe i ion ( e bal p ac ice).
Acco ding o he beha io is app oach, a blind child ein o ces he speech uni s he
hea s by epea ing hem o e and o e again. A en ion om a eache o pa en , as
well as epea ed p aise and ecogni ion, s imula e speech ac i i y. The lack o ision
does no limi he beha io is app oach, as he ocus is on senso y expe ience and
ex e nal s imuli. E en in blind child en, he p ocess o lea ning language occu s
h ough audi o y imi a ion and ein o cemen , especially in he ea ly s ages. This
heo y is use ul in eaching hem he unc ional meaning o wo ds (wha o do, how o
use hem).
A blind child canno imi a e isually h ough sigh , bu imi a es speech h ough
hea ing. By epea ing he one o oice, wo ds, and in ona ion o adul s, speech habi s
a e g adually o med. Co ec p onuncia ion is ein o ced h ough p aise and suppo .
The main “s imuli” o a blind child a e sounds, he sound o objec s, ouch, and smell.
Fo example, i a mo he says “ ind” and gi es he child a ball o ound objec , he child
associa es he wo d “ ind” wi h he objec . This p ocess is ein o ced by epe i ion and
ewa d, and wo d-meaning associa ions a e g adually o med. In o de o blind
child en o acqui e language quickly and pe ec ly, he basic p inciples o Beha io ism
– imi a ion, ein o cemen and s imulus- esponse ela ionships – can be e ec i ely
applied in p ac ical exe cises.
P inciples o p ac ical applica ion
* S imulus- esponse-based eaching
* New wo ds a e associa ed wi h objec s ha can be hea d, ouched o smelled.
* Fo example: “Apple” is said, an apple is gi en o he child and he child is made o
smell i .
* Wo d-meaning connec ions a e o med h ough epea ed exe cises.
* Encou aging imi a ion
* The child is encou aged o epea he oice, in ona ion and wo ds o adul s.
* Each success ul imi a ion is ein o ced wi h p aise o a ec ion.
* Fo example: “You said i igh , bless you!” A posi i e a i ude is shown, such as*
Fo example: “You said i igh , bless you!” A posi i e a i ude is shown, such as.
* Rein o cemen .
* When p onouncing o answe ing a ques ion co ec ly, he child's beha io is
ein o ced wi h posi i e ein o cemen . Fo ms o ein o cemen :
* Ve bal p aise.
* Physical suppo (hugging, pa ing on he shoulde ).
* Allowing a a o i e ac i i y.
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* Tac ile and audi o y lea ning
* Concep s such as colo , shape, and loca ion a e explained using ac ile ma e ials.
* Each wo d is associa ed wi h a e bal explana ion and senso y expe ience.
* Fo example: When eaching he wo d “ ound”, he child is gi en a ball o some o he
ound-shaped objec .
* The p inciple o simple o complex
* Fi s , simple wo ds (mo he , wa e , b ead) a e augh .
* Then complex concep s (joy, yes e day, omo ow) a e g adually in oduced. * New
wo ds a e augh by connec ing hem wi h he p e ious ones.
* Con ex ual ac i i ies
* Exe cises a e o ganized so ha he child can use he wo ds in eal si ua ions.
* Fo example: he wo ds “d ink”, “ea ” a e used du ing meals; he wo ds “ ake”,
“gi e”, “ un” a e ein o ced du ing play.
Al hough beha io ism has shown he mechanical side o language lea ning in many
s udies, i has been c i icized o no being able o su icien ly explain seman ic and
cogni i e aspec s [2]. Al hough he heo y o beha io ism explains he mechanism o
speech o ma ion well, i also has i s weaknesses. Fo example:
* Explaining language only h ough imi a ion and ein o cemen is no su icien
o explain he acquisi ion o complex g amma ical s uc u es.
* Beha io ism does no su icien ly explain he in e nal concep ual wo ld o a
blind child ( o example, how he o ms ideas abou hings he canno see).
* An app oach based solely on imi a ion and ein o cemen ails o explain how a
blind child lea ns hings hey canno see ( he meaning o wo ds ela ed o he sun,
colo s, and sky).
Conclusion. Beha io al heo y plays an impo an ole in he ea ly s ages o language
acquisi ion by he blind – in he mechanisms o imi a ion o sounds, lea ning and
ein o cemen o wo ds h ough hea ing. Howe e , i is limi ed in explaining he
subs an i e and abs ac aspec s o language and is supplemen ed by cogni i e o
psycholinguis ic app oaches [3].
Beha io al heo y plays an impo an ole in explaining he p ocess o language
acquisi ion by he blind and in de eloping a me hodological app oach. Th ough
epe i ion, s imula ion and audi o y exe cises, hey can e ec i ely acqui e speech. A
he same ime, his heo y is mo e e ec i e when used in conjunc ion wi h o he
app oaches (cogni i e and sociocul u al).
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Re e ences
1. Skinne , B.F. (1957). Ve bal Beha io . – New Yo k: Apple on-Cen u y-C o s.
2. Wa son, J.B. (1930). Beha io ism. – New Yo k: No on.
3. Chomsky, N. (1959). Re iew o B.F.Skinne ’s Ve bal Beha io . Language, 35(1),
26-58.
4. Ellis, R. (1997). Second Language Acquisi ion. – Ox o d: Ox o d Uni e si y P ess.
5. La sen-F eeman, D. (2000). Techniques and P inciples in Language Teaching. –
Ox o d: Ox o d Uni e si y P ess.
