What does the social interactionist theory emphasize in language acquisition?

The social interactionist theory emphasizes the importance of interaction with culturally knowledgeable adults as a critical component of language acquisition. This theory posits that language development is driven by social interactions and that children learn language through collaborative communication with peers and adults who provide guidance and feedback.

The presence of knowledgeable adults in a child’s environment plays a key role in modeling language use, offering context, and facilitating conversations that are essential for language learning. Through these interactions, children not only acquire vocabulary and grammar but also learn how language functions in various social contexts, contributing to their overall linguistic and cognitive development.

In contrast, the other options suggest methods for language acquisition that do not align with the philosophy of social interactionist theory, such as learning purely through formal education or independently from books without the social interaction that the theory underscores.