Answer :
Final answer:
Language acquisition is influenced by both genetic predispositions, known as nature, and our interactions within linguistic environments, referred to as nurture. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis contributes to this understanding by proposing that language structure affects cognition and behavior.
Explanation:
The debate on language acquisition involves the theories of behaviorist B. F. Skinner and linguist Noam Chomsky. Skinner believed that language learning is a result of reinforcement and feedback—where actions like a child requesting juice and receiving it strengthen language behaviors. Chomsky countered Skinner's behaviorist perspective by introducing the concept of an innate language acquisition device (LAD), suggesting that our capacity to learn language is inborn. The modern understanding reconciles these viewpoints, proposing that language acquisition is influenced by both our genetic predispositions (nature) and our interactions within our linguistic environments (nurture).
Contributing to the understanding of language's impact on thought, the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis or linguistic relativity suggests that the structure of a language affects its speakers' cognition and behavior.
