Not much is known about the workings of the human brain, and this 'device' is theoretically located somewhere in the human brain, though nothing can be made certain of. It is this device that supposedly allows and helps children to intuit language features as they do, learning at exponentially growing speeds. This is a nativist idea, first proposed by linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky.
Nativism
The idea that we are born with certain innate understandings or abilities that assist us in acquiring language features. One idea that supports this theory is that there are no records or evidences of human civilizations that did NOT have some kind of language. Another example is that all healthy five year olds will have learned at least one language by that age, though obviously do not yet possess a mastery of that language. By adulthood, they will have mastered the use of their language, and will have a pragmatic understanding of grammatical rules, though both the adult and the child will have difficulty articulating exactly what these rules are, why they know them, and why they even matter.
Behaviorism
This is the idea that we learn language through positive and negative reinforcement, like a dog being trained. It suggests that we learn language by being rewarded when we get it right, and being punished when we get it wrong. However, these studies were carried out on dogs and pigeons, rather than on actual children, so the relevance of the data and conclusions drawn from it are somewhat questionable.
Cognitive Theory
This is the idea that children learn language because they are desperate to, they feel an intense need to express themselves and their desires, which motivates them to be attentive in the presence of experienced language users and inspires them to put their share of the effort in when conversing with other language users.
Input Theory
This is the idea that children learn language by absorbing it, primarily from their caregivers, who are likely to speak to and around them the most. Garegivers are also very likely to use 'parentese', converging with their child's language to accommodate their limited understanding. This is also known as Child Directed Speech. Child Directed Speech is an important part of the learning process, as caregivers will encourage the child to converse by directing the conversation through use of interrogatives and by prompting them in times of uncertainty.
This is the idea that we learn language through positive and negative reinforcement, like a dog being trained. It suggests that we learn language by being rewarded when we get it right, and being punished when we get it wrong. However, these studies were carried out on dogs and pigeons, rather than on actual children, so the relevance of the data and conclusions drawn from it are somewhat questionable.
Cognitive Theory
This is the idea that children learn language because they are desperate to, they feel an intense need to express themselves and their desires, which motivates them to be attentive in the presence of experienced language users and inspires them to put their share of the effort in when conversing with other language users.
Input Theory
This is the idea that children learn language by absorbing it, primarily from their caregivers, who are likely to speak to and around them the most. Garegivers are also very likely to use 'parentese', converging with their child's language to accommodate their limited understanding. This is also known as Child Directed Speech. Child Directed Speech is an important part of the learning process, as caregivers will encourage the child to converse by directing the conversation through use of interrogatives and by prompting them in times of uncertainty.
A very clearly expressed overview of the theories - a useful reference point for you!
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