Chomsky

Question 1

Who is Noam Chomsky?

Answer 1

An American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, and social critic.

Question 2

What is Chomsky best known for in linguistics?

Answer 2

The development of the theory of generative grammar.

Question 3

True or False: Chomsky believes that language is a learned behavior.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

What concept did Chomsky introduce that refers to the innate ability to acquire language?

Answer 4

Universal grammar.

Question 5

Fill in the blank: Chomsky’s theory suggests that all human languages share a common underlying structure known as _____ grammar.

Answer 5

Universal

Question 6

What is the ‘poverty of the stimulus’ argument?

Answer 6

The idea that children cannot learn language solely from environmental input.

Question 7

Which book did Chomsky publish in 1957 that significantly impacted linguistics?

Answer 7

Syntactic Structures.

Question 8

What is transformational-generative grammar?

Answer 8

A theory that describes the syntactic structures of languages and how they can be transformed.

Question 9

True or False: Chomsky argues that language acquisition is a result of social interaction.

Answer 9

False

Question 10

What did Chomsky argue about the relationship between language and thought?

Answer 10

He suggested that language shapes thought and cognitive processes.

Question 11

What is a language acquisition device (LAD)?

Answer 11

A hypothetical module in the human brain that facilitates the learning of language.

Question 12

Multiple Choice: Which of the following is NOT a focus of Chomsky’s work? A) Syntax B) Semantics C) Phonetics D) Historical linguistics

Answer 12

D) Historical linguistics

Question 13

What is the significance of the Minimalist Program?

Answer 13

It seeks to explain the properties of natural language using the simplest and most economical principles.

Question 14

True or False: Chomsky has also been an influential political activist.

Answer 14

True

Question 15

What term refers to Chomsky’s critique of behaviorism in language learning?

Answer 15

Nativism.

Question 16

Fill in the blank: Chomsky’s theories have influenced fields beyond linguistics, including _____ and psychology.

Answer 16

Cognitive science

Question 17

What is the focus of Chomsky’s work in political discourse?

Answer 17

Critique of media manipulation and propaganda.

Question 18

Multiple Choice: Which concept refers to the idea that language is an innate human ability? A) Empiricism B) Rationalism C) Behaviorism D) Nativism

Answer 18

D) Nativism

Question 19

What is the Chomsky hierarchy?

Answer 19

A classification of formal grammars that includes regular, context-free, context-sensitive, and recursively enumerable languages.

Question 20

True or False: Chomsky has proposed that all languages are fundamentally different.

Answer 20

False

Question 21

What is an example of a transformational rule?

Answer 21

Changing a declarative sentence into a question.

Question 22

What did Chomsky argue about the nature of language and its use?

Answer 22

That language is a tool for communication that reflects deeper cognitive structures.

Question 23

Fill in the blank: Chomsky’s work laid the foundation for the field of _____ linguistics.

Answer 23

Generative

Question 24

What is the primary focus of Chomsky’s ‘Aspects of the Theory of Syntax’?

Answer 24

To provide a comprehensive theory of syntax and its rules.

Question 25

Multiple Choice: Which of the following terms is associated with Chomsky’s criticism of the media? A) Disinformation B) Propaganda C) Misinformation D) All of the above

Answer 25

D) All of the above

Question 26

What is the significance of the 'Chomsky norm' in linguistics?

Answer 26

It emphasizes the ideal speaker-listener in a homogeneous linguistic community.

Question 27

True or False: Chomsky's theories have been universally accepted without critique.

Answer 27

False