Which view of language learning asserts that learners progress through internal cognitive processes, not just imitation?

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

Answer: (B)

Learning language through internal mental activity involves students actively processing input, forming mental representations, and testing hypotheses about how the language works. This view sees progress as the result of attention, memory, problem solving, and the ability to organize and reorganize knowledge into usable rules and patterns. In other words, learners aren’t just copying what they hear; they are building and refining internal constructs—rules, representations, and schemas—that guide how they use the language.

This is the cognitivist perspective. It contrasts with the idea that learning happens mainly through imitation and reinforcement (behaviorist), the notion that language ability is largely innate and pre-wired for grammar (innatist), or the idea that knowledge develops through active construction and social interaction (constructivist). The key idea here is that internal cognitive processing drives how learners progress, form generalizations, and automate skills beyond simple mimicry.