Language UniversalsTheories of first language

acquisition

We are not born speaking! Language must be acquired.

◦ Learning vs. acquisition If we think of all that is entailed in knowing

a language, it seems quite a challenge.

How do children learn their first language?

Children do not learn a new language but naturally acquire it through an innate language device.

Learning vs. acquisition Language is an innate faculty We are born with a Language acquisition

device (LAD)◦ A set of language learning (acquisition) tools◦ All humans have a universal grammar (UG)

Chomsky and language learning

What evidence is there for innate knowledge of certain basic language features present in all human languages?

◦ LINGUISTIC UNIVERSALS > UNIVERSAL GRAMMAR

◦ All languages have: A grammar Basic word order Nouns and verbs Subjects and objects Consonants and vowels

Language Universals

Most languages have a similar word order structure.

SVO = The teacher gave a lecture 75% of the world languages use either SVO

or SOV. OSV very rare: Yoda (star Wars)

Strong with the force you are

Origins of UG theory

Humans then learn to specialize this “universal grammar” (UG) for the particulars of their language.

Word order, syntactic rule preferences Phonetic and phonological constraints Lexicon Semantic interpretations Pragmatic ways to converse

“Universal Grammar”

The “Wug” test

Evidence for innateness of language?The biologist Eric Lenneberg defined a list of

characteristics that are typical of innate (pre-programmed) behaviors in animals.

Innateness of language?

1. Maturationally controlled, emerging before they are critically needed

2. Do not appear as the result of a conscious decision.

3. Do not appear due to a trigger from external events.

4. Are relatively unaffected by direct teaching and intensive practice.

5. Follow a regular sequence of “milestones” in their development.

6. Generally observe a critical period for their acquisition

Innate behaviors . . .

When is language necessary?

When do children usually begin speaking/using language coherently?

1. Emerge before necessary, cannot be forced before scheduled

Is this criterion met?

Does a child decide to consciously pursue certain skills? (e.g., walking)

Do babies make a conscious decision to start learning a language?

Is this criterion met?

2. Are not conscious

What would prompt a child to take up football?

What would prompt a child to begin speaking?

Is this criterion met?

3. Are not triggered

We CAN teach prescriptive rules of language. But we’re not talking about that here.

We correct children’s errors sometimes. Does it help?◦ ‘”Yesterday I goed to my friend’s house’

In fact, “coaching” seems to hurt rather than help language ability in children.

Is this criterion met?

4. Cannot be taught

In spite of different backgrounds, different locations, and different upbringings, most children follow the very same milestones in acquiring language.

Is this criterion met?

5. Follow milestones

What is a critical period? For first language acquisition, there seems to be

a critical period of the first five years, during which children must be exposed to rich input. There is also a period, from about 10-16 years, when acquisition is possible, but not native-like.

For SLA, the issue is more complicated… More on that later.

Is this criterion met?

6. Observe a critical period

CPH: Proposed by Lenneberg◦ This hypothesis states that there is only a small

window of time for a first language to be natively acquired.

◦ If a child is denied language input, she will not acquire language Genie: a girl discovered at age 13 who had not

acquired her first language

The Critical Period Hypothesis

If humans do have an LAD, it must be located somewhere physically…(Chomsky denies that it can be physically found in the body)

Location of LAD