Nativism Flashcards
(22 cards)
What does Chomsky argue?
- All languages have UG
- Children have an inbuilt LAD
- Children are pre-programmed to acquire language
- Children go through the same stages of development
What is a LAD
Language acquisition device
What does the LAD do?
Helps young children make sense of the world around them
How does the LAD work?
Input is required in order for the LAD to be activated which then helps children make more sense of language they hear easily
What is the poverty of the stimulus?
The idea that the language to which a child is exposed cannot possibly provide the sophistication of a whole language
How do children gain fluency in language?
`In order to gain fluency, children must already possess a language processing capacity that helps them to develop language more competently
What is Universal grammar (UG)
The idea that all languages have similar structures and roots meaning all children tend to acquire language at comparable rates (similar times)
What are examples of virtuous errors
“runned”
How would the use of virtuous errors support the nature argument?
Virtuous errors/ irregular verbs are not used by adults meaning that children have formed these errors themselves, supporting chomsky’s idea that language is innate
First idea that contrasts Chomsky:
Chomsky does not acknowledge enough that a child’s language environment provides much richer language data
Second idea that contrasts Chomsky:
Parents have to interact with children to give them input which activates the LAD
Third idea that contrasts Chomsky:
If there is an inbuilt capacity for language, then it is linked to many other areas of understanding and not just its own facility
Key change since Chomsky:
People are less tied to the idea that language is a separate “organ” in the brain
What is the continuity hypothesis
The idea that UG is available to the child from the beginning and that the difference between a child and an adult are due to different developmental processes
What did Eric Lenneberg argue regarding the LAD
The LAD needs to be activated with sufficient input before a certain point in the child’s development
What will happen if the child receives insufficient input?
If they don’t receive the right environmental stimuli during this period, their ability to learn new skills in language will weaken
What happens if a child passes through a critical period?
It will be unlikely for them to gain native fluency in their first language
General info about Genie:
- Suffered neglect and abuse
- Had minimal exposure to language
- Released from isolation at 13
- She had about 20 words in total
What happened to Genie’s language development after support?
She never moved beyond the speech of a 2 or 3 year old - couldn’t grasp grammar
How did Steven Pinker develop Chomsky’s LAD theory?
He put forward his own Principles and Parameters Theory (PPT)
What is PPT?
A system allowing speakers of a language to set the parameters of their own language through listening to the language used around them
Example of how the PPT theory works:
