The document discusses theories of Universal Grammar (UG) and its application to second language acquisition. It covers: 1) Nativist approaches that posit innate language-specific or general learning mechanisms. 2) UG as consisting of principles and parameters that characterize all natural languages. Parameters have limited values that vary across languages. 3) How UG addresses the "poverty of stimulus" problem in first language acquisition. 4) Debates around the role and accessibility of UG in second language acquisition, including issues of first language transfer and ultimate attainment. 5) Evidence is inconclusive on whether UG principles fully constrain or are fully accessible to second language learners.

1. PANPACIFIC UNIVERSIT Y NORTH PHILIPPINES
INSTITUTE OF GRADUATE STUDIES
2 nd Trimester, A .Y. 2012-2013
GOLDAMEIR S. PABLO
MED ENGLISH

2.  Nativist approaches to SLA:
 At least some aspects of language learning
involve innateness
 GENERAL NATIVISM: there is no specific mechanism
designed for language learning, but rather general
principles of learning
 i.e., Eckman, Hamilton, O’Grady, Wolfe-Quintero
 SPECIAL NATIVISM: posit special principles for
language learning that are unique to language and not
used in other cognitive endeavors
 Also known as universal grammar

3.  What is UG?
 The theory of (all) languages and the expressions
they generate
 The theory of the initial state (S0) of the language
faculty
 “The system of principles, conditions, and rules that
are elements or properties of all human languages”
(Chomsky 1981).

5.  UG assumes that language grammars are composed
of principles and parameters:
 Principles are abstract characterizations of the core
grammars of all natural languages; invariable
 Parameters are the ‘settings’ that vary across languages
and account for differences among languages
 Parameters have limited values, specific options; input usually helps
the learner figure out which setting to choose. This makes the L1
task somewhat easier by limited the range of options to choose
from.
 Parameters also function in clusters, so that once a particular
parameter is set, all related properties of language are also
established.
 Example: Cook’s car analogy PRO-drop parameter
1. Omission of subject pronouns
2. Inversion of subjects/verbs in
declarative sentences
3. That-trace effects

6.  UG is postulated as an innate language facility
that limits the extent to which languages can
vary; it specifies the limits of a possible
language.
 UG alone could not result in language
acquisition, but combined with linguistic input
the two result in successful language learning.

7.  Poverty of the stimulus
 How else can we explain the uniformly successful
and rapid acquisition of language in children in
spite of insufficient input?
 Children somehow come to know properties of
language that are not readily or obviously apparent
in the input
 i.e., White: “want to” ~ “wanna”
 i.e., adverb placement
 Pp. 170-171

8.  Learning principle
 Predicts that the learner’s first choice is to assume a
SMALLER grammar, i.e., that is a subset of the other.
 If given the option, the learner assumes that the correct
choice is the one that assumes a more limited grammar
 Obviously, this is an unconscious process
 Necessary to assume this because we can’t rely on explicit
intervention to be told otherwise
 In SLA the NL complicates the issue further…

9.  In SLA –
 Moving from a subset system to a superset system
(i.e., English word order to Italian word order)
requires only input which contains examples of the
greater possibilities
 Moving from a superset system to a subset system
(i.e., Italian to English) requires additional
information
 Not hearing an utterance doesn’t mean it can’t be

10.  Learners rely on evidence in the input to make and
test hypotheses about language:
 Positive evidence: available in input, set of well-formed
utterances
 Negative evidence: information telling the learner that the
utterance is incorrect or not possible
 Explicit or implied
 Indirect negative evidence?
 If certain structures fail to show up in relatively simple expressions
where they would be expected, the learner might be able to
automatically assume the limited subset option

11. and SLA

12.  The issue of UG in SLA is usually treated as an
access to UG question.
 To what extent, if any, is UG available to the second
language learner?
 Is the same kind of UG available in L2 acquisition
as it was in L1?
 Does the L1 affect UG’s accessibility?
 Where does the L2 learner star t out?
And with what?

13.  SLA researchers want to know what is the initial
state of linguistic knowledge with which L2
learners begin the acquisition process
 Variables are
 Transfer
 Access to UG

14.  Bley-Vroman 1989; Schachter 1988
 Supposes that L1 and L2 acquisition are
fundamentally dif ferent
 Different ultimate attainment
 State of linguistic knowledge available at start of
acquisition
 “Equipotentiality” [children can potentially learn any
language, no language is more or less difficult for an L1
child; in L2 though certain acquisitions are easier than
others depending on the L1]
 Motivation and attitude differences in children and
adults

15.  FDH claims that adult L2 learners do not have
access to UG.
 What they know of language universals is
constructed through their NL.
 They also make use of cognitive skills such as
problem-solving.
 L2 learners bring metalinguistic knowledge to
the task.
 The learner constructs a ‘psuedo UG’ based on
NL knowledge.

16.  Others view SLA as a process that does
involve UG.
 The variables in this approach are access to
UG and L1 transfer, with 5 different
possibilities:
1. Full transfer / partial or no access
2. No transfer / full access
3. Full transfer / full access
4. Partial transfer / full access
5. Partial transfer / partial access

17.  The initial state of learning is the L1 final state
(i.e., fully formed L1 grammar)
 Access to UG is mediated through the L1
 If a principle is not found in the L1, it will not be
available to the learner to use in the L2

18.  The starting point for SLA is UG, just as it is for
L1.
 There is a disconnection between the L1 and
the developing grammar.
 Predicts that L1 and L2 acquisition proceed
similarly and end at the same point.
 Predicts that all L2 acquisition proceeds along
the same path.

19.  The starting point for SLA is the final state of
the L1
 Assumes that UG is still nonetheless available
as it was for L1 acquisition
 Learner is assumed to use the L1 as a basis
but if the L1 is insufficient can have full access
to all UG principles as needed.
 No guarantee of ultimate L2 attainment.

20.  Both L1 and UG are available simultaneously to
the learner.
 Different properties are available through each.
 Learners may or may not reach final state of
L2, depending on what is available from the L1
and what is available from UG.

21.  Only parts of the L1 grammar are available for
transfer, and only limited access to UG is
available.
 Ultimate attainment in L2 is impossible due to
permanent impairment in the acquisition
system.

22.  Studies attempt to investigate if universals are
available to L2 learners.
 If L2 learners are constrained by UG principles,
they will not violate universal restraints on
language.

23.  There is conflicting evidence with regard to UG
principles
 We don’t know if learners have direct access to
UG, access through the NL, or no access at all.

24.  If UG is fully operative, there should be no
problem in resetting parameters.
 If UG is available only through L1, the learner
won’t be able to reset the parameter.
 If UG is not operative, none of the UG features
will be available in the L2.

25.  Data also inconclusive regarding parameters.
 We can see that L1 and L2 are not
fundamentally the same process, and also
that they are not completely and entirely
dif ferent.
 While some universal principles seem to guide
SLA, they don’t totally constrain it either.

26.  Two important questions remain to be solved:
 Are universals the major organizing factor of
learner-language grammars?
 If so, are UG universals and typological universals
variants of one concept or are they fundamentally
different.
 If they are different, which is a more appropriate model
to adopt for SLA?

27.  Any theory of SLA must predict what will occur
and what will not occur.
 Both UG and typological universal data are
difficult to falsify.
 If data don’t agree with the theory, we can blame
the theory or the data, or claim that any violation is
temporary in the interim IL… etc.!

28. to further complicate the issue!

29.  In 1997, Chomsky proposed a new
conceptualization of UG, replacing the
Principles and Parameters idea.
 In Minimalism, the lexicon has much greater
importance.
 Universally, there are still general constraints, but
more limited, and on movement.
 Parametrization no longer occurs in syntax but
rather through features associated with lexical
items, which store language specific information.

30.  Learning “vocabulary” now is more than a semantic
undertaking, it’s really learning the essence of the language.
 When we learn certain words, we also learn their characteristics,
such as if they require (1 or 2) objects, allow objects, or disallow
objects.
 GIVE: I gave him a gift.
? I gave a gift.
* I gave him.
 HIT: I hit the ball
*I hit.
 EAT: I ate an apple.
I ate.
 SNEEZE: I sneezed
*I sneezed an apple.
*I sneezed him an apple.

31.  Minimalism differentiates functional and lexical
categories.
 Lexical = meaning words, infinite set; can also
contain certain grammatical information
 Functional = grammatical words, the ‘glue’ of a
sentence, fixed set
 Functional categories are often the subject of studies
investigating UG access and transfer.

32.  “In sum, what has emerged from research in
the domain of linguistics is that universals…
clearly have an important impact on the
formation of second language grammars. What
is in need of further explanation is the extent to
which universals operate alone or in consort
with NL and TL facts and the discovery of
whether or not all universals equally affect
second language grammars”

33.  THANK YOU for
listening…!