Question

A functional account of language puts an emphasis on the behavior of the:

Answer 1

A functional account of language puts an emphasis on the behavior of the speaker.

This is one of the advantages in Using Skinner's Analysis. Teaching with this approach results in increases in expressive language and decreases problem behavior (over 100 empirical published studies).It describes strategies to teach language regarding what words to teach, when to teach a word, and how to teach a word. More accurately describes defective language than formal / traditional accounts.

As an example, instead of just teaching a word, we must teach them how to functionally apply those words. For example, a child with autism might say the word "toilet" when they see one, but may not be able to say "toilet" when they need to use the bathroom or answer correctly when asked what a toilet is used for.