According to constructivist theory, which statement about language is correct?

• A. Language and cognitive processes are both innate
• B. Cognitive processes underlying language are innate, but language itself is not innate
• C. Language development is solely through imitation
• D. Language is entirely learned through reinforcement

Answer: (B)

Language develops as something you build through experience and social interaction, using cognitive processes that are available to you from the start. In constructivist thinking, the general mental tools that support learning are present (innate in the sense of being built-in capacities), but the specific language you know—its words, rules, and usage—is learned from the environment, not pre-wired. So the best statement is that the cognitive processes underlying language are innate, but language itself is not innate. This fits with seeing language as something children construct through experience, testing ideas, and communicating with others, rather than something fixed that’s present at birth.

Language learning through imitation or reinforcement alone doesn’t capture the constructive, meaning-making aspect of how children actually acquire language in rich social contexts, which is why those options don’t fit constructivist views.