The Innateness Theory- ChomskyBy Jess & Alex

http:

//w

ww

2.vo

bs.a

t/lu

desc

her/

pdf%

20fil

es/

Nati

vism

-ppp

ictu

res.

pdf

Learning Objective

• To understand and apply the innateness theory by Chomsky.

• To understand how this theory links in with children’s acquisition of language.

• Understand criticisms of the theory and why they are opposed to it.

NATIVIST THEORY

• “Language is an innate faculty”.• “We are born with a set of rules about

language in our heads”.• “The universal grammar is the basis upon

which all human languages build”.

UNIVERSAL GRAMMAR

• Word order• The teacher gave a lecture• SUBJECT VERB OBJECT• 75% of the world‘s languages use this order

“We are born with a set of rules”

• The system of principles, conditions and rules that are elements or properties of all human languages.

• Universal grammar is a theory of knowledge its concern is with the internal structure of the human mind.

Innate Hypothesis 1:

• All children with all levels of knowledge can acquire language.

• Children can acquire language effortlessly.• Children can acquire language in a relatively

short period of time.• Language is a complex system.• A child does not have to be formally taught

to acquire language.

Innate Hypothesis 2:

• Children discover the system of language from an unsystematic and small amount of data.

• Language acquisition requires very little imitation.

• Reinforcement (reward) has a very small role in acquisition.

• Language acquisition is a very active process. Children say things that they have never heard from adults.

Conclusions

• Infants are born with a Language Acquisition Device (LAD).

• Exposure to language is all that is needed for a child to discover the system of language. This is critical and is evidenced by a number of cases of children in isolation e.g.: Genie

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjZolHCrC8E

• Start video from 6 mins onwards until 12 mins.

Children produce sentences they have never heard before:

•“He hitted”•“No eat cake”•“It‘s raining. Where is the underbrella?”

Create a new language:

• Pidgin• No mother tongue• Reduced syntax and vocabulary• Can become a used language e.g.: Creole

(Hawaii)• The language is then enriched and it

becomes a full language which takes one generation.

Creole- Hawaii:

• “You know my Feezicks Professah, you know da bolo head one? Some AKAMAI!”

• Definition: Someone who is very smart• Translation: “You know my Physics Professor

at the University of Hawaii Manoa? The one with the shinny bald head? He is the most intelligent man I have ever known!”

Critics:

• People often speak ungrammatically (performance).

• Grammar changes due to social and historical circumstances.

• Chomsky reduces language to its grammar – not meaning.

Criticisms and Counter Arguments

• The psychologist Jerome Bruner concluded that language acquisition not only depends on LAD but also LASS or Language Acquisition Support System.

• The environment a child grows up can also have a major effect on language acquisition.

• Some people also think that the LAD is an abstract concept and lacks adequate scientific support.