What two processes do children engage in according to Tomasello’s theory?

According to Tomasello’s theory, children engage in intention reading and pattern finding as key processes in their language acquisition. Intention reading refers to a child's ability to interpret and understand the intentions behind others' actions, which plays a crucial role in communication. By understanding what speakers aim to convey, children are better equipped to grasp the meanings of words and sentences in context.

Pattern finding involves recognizing and extracting the regularities in language input. Children are adept at detecting patterns within the speech they hear, such as grammatical structures, word order, and the relationships between words. This ability allows them to form hypotheses about how language works, leading to the development of their own linguistic rules.

Together, these processes highlight how children actively construct their understanding of language through social interactions and their environment, rather than merely relying on imitation or rote memorization. This emphasizes the importance of engagement in meaningful communication as a foundation for language learning.