When a learner can produce his/her own utterances rather than simply mimicked from a model, the learner's ability upholds which view of language learning?

When a learner can produce his/her own utterances rather than simply mimicked from a model, the learner's ability upholds which view of language learning?

• A. Constructivist
• B. Innatist
• C. Cognitivist
• D. Behaviorist

Answer: (C)

Producing your own original utterances shows that language learning involves internal mental processing and knowledge about how language works, not just copying what you’ve heard. In the cognitivist view, learners actively process input, form mental representations, and apply rules to generate new sentences. This ability to create novel language demonstrates the mind organizing and using linguistic knowledge, rather than simply echoing a model. A behaviorist would expect language to come mainly from imitation and reinforcement, so output would be shaped by what’s been rewarded or repeated, not by internal rule use. An innatist stance points to an inborn capacity for grammar, but the emphasis here is on the learner’s internal cognitive processing and rule application. While constructivists highlight learning through interaction and meaning-making, the situation described most directly reflects cognitivist ideas about internal representations and rule-governed production.

Producing your own original utterances shows that language learning involves internal mental processing and knowledge about how language works, not just copying what you’ve heard. In the cognitivist view, learners actively process input, form mental representations, and apply rules to generate new sentences. This ability to create novel language demonstrates the mind organizing and using linguistic knowledge, rather than simply echoing a model.

A behaviorist would expect language to come mainly from imitation and reinforcement, so output would be shaped by what’s been rewarded or repeated, not by internal rule use. An innatist stance points to an inborn capacity for grammar, but the emphasis here is on the learner’s internal cognitive processing and rule application. While constructivists highlight learning through interaction and meaning-making, the situation described most directly reflects cognitivist ideas about internal representations and rule-governed production.