Short Description about Naom Chomsky

1. Naom Chomsky: The Nativist Theory
Hello everyone, I am Karen kaye Cabaltera from Tribe 4 Joule and will discuss the first Theory of Language
Development. But first let’s talk what is the theory Language Development. The Language development is
a slow process that starts during early childhood, allowing children to grasp the spoken word and
communicate. This term also applies to the origin of languages and why humans developed language as a
communication tool in the first place.
 To begin with we have the NATIVIST THEORY OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION that became very popular
in the late 20th century through Noam Chomsky who claimed that language is an innate faculty.
 This theory came about as children have been observed to pick up grammar and syntax without
any formal teaching (in spoken language). They seem to learn these fundamentals of their native
language(s) purely from the input around them.
 Furthermore by saying that Language is innate, Chomsky implies that children are born with a set
of rules about language in their head which he calls the “Universal Grammar.”
 (stages of language acquisition). This is possible because;
1. The language children are exposed to is very little correctly formed. When people talk, they
make slips of tongues children still manage to have a firm grasp of the language.
2. The language they hear around them are not just simply copied. They learn the rules of the
language and use them to produce sentences they’ve never heard from anyone or anywhere.
 Chomsky’s view of the Language Acquisition Device is consistent with there being specific structures
in the brain involved in language learning and language processing. The process of language
development is envisioned as one in which the child discovers which grammar rules contained
within universal grammar apply to the language that the child is learning. No specific claim was
made regarding the specific location of the LAD in the brain.
To sum it up Nativist theory is very controversial. An argument against this view is that without a propensity
for language, children will not be able to learn such complete speech patterns in a natural human
environment where complete sentences are the exception. This shapes the behavior of the child and
therefore challenges the notion that language is innate.
https://www.scientific-editing.info/blog/the-nativist-theory/
https://edgy.app/theories-of-language-development