Final answer:
B. F. Skinner suggested that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky proposed an inherent capacity for language acquisition. The resulting consensus is that language development is influenced by both innate biology and environmental interaction, with a critical period for language learning. Language also has a universal developmental sequence but is affected by cultural factors.
Step-by-step explanation:
Behaviorists like B. F. Skinner proposed that language is acquired through reinforcement. According to Skinner, children learn language due to feedback such as parental approval or the success of being understood. For instance, when a child successfully communicates a want, and the parent fulfills it, this reinforces the child's use of language.
Noam Chomsky challenged this view, suggesting that we are born with an innate language acquisition device (LAD) that equips us for language learning. The debate between these theories has been significant in psychology, leading to the understanding that language development is influenced by both innate biological predispositions and environmental factors.
The critical period for language acquisition, where children are especially receptive to learning language, supports the idea that biological factors play a role in this process.