Skinners theory and child language

This list of 50 words does back up Skinner's theory as all of the words the child has learnt would most likely be rewarded with praise which shows positive reinforcement. For example, when the child says "cuddle" it is likely that they would be rewarded for saying the correct word with being cuddled, also saying "juice" would be rewarded with receiving the juice. This could prove Skinners theory as the child may have realised that those words are correct and therefore continues to use them as they know that this is the way to show what they want. 

All of the words that the child has learnt have probably been learnt through imitation; the child would listen to his carers saying specific words and being rewarded for it. For example, saying specific lexis like "please" is something that the child has learnt and associated with getting what they want. Politeness is harder concept to understand at a young age, therefore proving that the child knows words like "please" and "ta" from imitation and reinforcement. 

However, some words that the child has learnt would require more explanation and understanding that just simply imitation and reinforcement. This goes against Skinner's theory and shows that child language acquisition requires more depth than stated in this particular theory. For example, asking "wassat" requires a lot more knowledge and understanding as the child is asking a question, which is a concept more difficult to understand than simply imitating words that they have previously heard.