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Noam Chomskyxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Noam Chomskyxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Noam Chomskyxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Generative linguistics has two important brunches: Acquisition and Learning, where the first is referred
to a subconscious process which is implicit in a natural environment (native speakers) and in the other
hand, Learning is referred to a conscious process which is explicit and given in a non natural
environment (foreign language
Innate theory.
The claim is that one does not need to know what knowledge is before gaining knowledge, but rather
one has a wealth of knowledge before ever gaining any experience. Plato believed that we posses innate
ideas that precede any knowledge that we gain through experience
It says that the ability to learn grammar is manifested by itself without being taught. UG proposes that if
human beings are brought up under normal conditions (this is not conditions of extreme sensory
deprivation), they will always develop language with a certain property.
• Chomsky believes that children will never require the knowledge to process an infinite number of
sentences if the language acquisition mechanism was dependent on language input alone.
• The theory of universal grammar was proposed suggesting that all children are born with ability to
acquire ,develop and understand grammar regardless of where they are raised noun/verb category
• Universal grammar holds the grammatical information needed in order to combine categories of
language such as verb and nouns in to phrases.
• Children have the natural ability to combine nouns and verbs in to a correct and meaningful order.
Critical period of language.
Chomsky says that a person individual grammar is developed from the interaction between the innate
UG and the input from the environment (primary linguistic data):
UG + input = Grammar.
Chomsky asserts that in the brain exists an innate device to acquire languages. This is what he called
“Language Acquisition Device”, which allows people learning and using the language. Language is
acquired because humans are biologically programmed to do so.