Adult Learning Persuasive Essay by cee-cee

This paper discusses whether behaviorism can be used as a comprehensive theory of language and whether teaching a second language can be based on such a theory. The paper discusses B.F. Skinner's theories about behaviorism and how they apply to the process of language acquisition and then looks at the beliefs of critics to this approach such as Noam Chomsky. The paper also discusses the writer's own opinion regarding theories of behaviorism and concludes that his own experience has provided an objection to behaviorism as a comprehensive theory of language: even if there is a direct correlation between an input and an output, this does not automatically imply that a language has been learned. The writer goes on to argue that, while the fundamental concepts underlying behaviorism are doubtlessly beneficial in teaching ESL, it should, under no conditions, be interpreted to be the definitive and decisive approach towards teaching.