What approach emphasizes the internal cognitive processes associated with language acquisition?

The cognitive approach emphasizes internal cognitive processes associated with language acquisition by focusing on how learners mentally process, store, and manipulate language. This approach highlights the roles of memory, attention, and problem-solving skills in understanding and producing language. It considers language learning as a complex cognitive activity where the learner builds mental representations of linguistic structures and navigates their use through active engagement and cognitive development.

The emphasis on internal processes distinguishes the cognitive approach from others that may stress external factors or social interactions. For instance, while the sociocognitive approach incorporates elements of social interaction in learning, it does not prioritize the individual cognitive processes as central to language acquisition. Similarly, the linguistic approach is more concerned with the structural aspects of language rather than cognitive processing, and the learning approach often focuses on behavior and environmental stimuli rather than the mental mechanisms at play. Therefore, the cognitive approach is accurately identified as the one that highlights the internal cognitive processes involved in mastering language.