The 'less-is-more' hypothesis in language development argues that young children's language learning is aided by:

The 'less-is-more' hypothesis in language development argues that young children's language learning is aided by:

• A. Less-Is-More
• B. Critical-period theory
• C. Behaviorist language training
• D. Social-interactionist approach

Answer: (D)

The main idea being tested is how cognitive limits in young children interact with social context to support language learning. Because preschoolers have limited working memory and processing capacity, they learn best from simpler, shorter language input. Caregivers and teachers typically respond with child-directed speech—short sentences, repetition, recasts, and clear cues—providing scaffolding that helps the child notice patterns and generalize grammar from what they can handle. This dynamic aligns with the social-interactionist view: language develops through meaningful social exchanges, joint attention, and responsive feedback. The less-is-more notion explains the cognitive constraint, and the social-interactionist perspective explains how those constraints are effectively leveraged in learning through interaction. Critical-period ideas focus on timing rather than learning mechanisms, behaviorist training emphasizes reinforcement without capturing the social scaffolding, and treating less-is-more as the sole mechanism misses the essential role of social context.

The main idea being tested is how cognitive limits in young children interact with social context to support language learning. Because preschoolers have limited working memory and processing capacity, they learn best from simpler, shorter language input. Caregivers and teachers typically respond with child-directed speech—short sentences, repetition, recasts, and clear cues—providing scaffolding that helps the child notice patterns and generalize grammar from what they can handle. This dynamic aligns with the social-interactionist view: language develops through meaningful social exchanges, joint attention, and responsive feedback. The less-is-more notion explains the cognitive constraint, and the social-interactionist perspective explains how those constraints are effectively leveraged in learning through interaction. Critical-period ideas focus on timing rather than learning mechanisms, behaviorist training emphasizes reinforcement without capturing the social scaffolding, and treating less-is-more as the sole mechanism misses the essential role of social context.