The Concept of Language (Noam Chomsky)

Summary

In this classic WTV interview, Professor Noam Chomsky discusses the evolution of language, noting the structural similarities between French and Germanic languages. He emphasizes the complexity and non-random nature of language change over time, influenced by factors like conquest and political shifts. Chomsky also touches on the concept of a 'pure' language as a social construct, the role of slang as a form of innovation, and the importance of pronunciation and intonation in communication. He reflects on the impact of a few words on human emotions and the innate human capacity for language, suggesting that language learning in children is largely influenced by their social environment.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Language evolution is influenced by various factors such as conquest, political changes, and commercial interchanges, leading to shifts in dialect mixtures over time.
• 🏰 French has structural characteristics that make it more similar to Germanic languages compared to other Romance languages, such as the inability to omit the subject in sentences.
• 📚 The concept of a 'national language' is a modern phenomenon linked to nationalism, communication, and education systems, which were not present in earlier times.
• 🔍 Predicting language evolution is extremely complex and involves numerous factors, making it more akin to weather prediction than a deterministic process.
• 🌱 Children naturally acquire the language of their peers, which is often different from the language spoken at home, highlighting the social aspect of language learning.
• 🎓 The 'literary standard' taught in schools often differs from colloquial speech and includes some artificial constructs that do not naturally occur in human language.
• 🎨 Language, including slang, is a form of human creativity and innovation, much like fashion, and is not typically taught but rather emerges organically within social groups.
• 🏫 The role of parents in language development is limited; children tend to adopt the language of their cultural and social environment rather than being shaped solely by parental input.
• 🤔 The human capacity for language is deeply rooted in our nature, similar to our physical characteristics, and is not something that can be taught but rather something we grow into.
• 📖 The study of language, including its structure, development, and social aspects, provides insights into the workings of the human mind and our innate capabilities.

Q & A

What does Professor Chomsky suggest about the structural differences between French and German?

Professor Chomsky points out that while French is generally considered a Romance language, it shares several structural features with Germanic languages, such as the inability to delete the subject of a sentence, similar to what is found in German.

How does language change over time according to the discussion with Professor Chomsky?

Language change over time is not a uniform process affecting all parts of a language equally. It involves a mixture of dialects that change due to various factors like conquest, political changes, and commercial interchanges, leading to small cumulative changes that can sometimes result in dramatic structural shifts within a few generations.

What is the role of nationalism in the development of a national language as discussed by Professor Chomsky?

Nationalism plays a significant role in the development of a national language by creating a standardized form of communication that is taught and promoted within a country, often associated with the rise of national education systems and communication technologies.

Why is it challenging to predict the future evolution of languages, as mentioned by Professor Chomsky?

Predicting the future evolution of languages is challenging because it involves numerous factors, including social, political, and technological changes, which are complex and often interrelated, making the process more akin to predicting the weather than following a deterministic path.

What is the significance of the concept of 'pure language' as discussed by Professor Chomsky?

The concept of 'pure language' is a sociopolitical construct rather than a linguistic one. It often arises from a desire to preserve and protect a language from perceived external influences, but it is not based on any objective linguistic criteria.

How does the educational system influence the way we perceive and learn language, according to the conversation with Professor Chomsky?

The educational system teaches a standardized version of language, which may differ from the vernacular or dialects spoken at home. This can include artificial constructs that are not naturally occurring in everyday speech but are taught due to their association with prestige or formal communication.

What is the importance of pronunciation and intonation in language comprehension, as highlighted by Professor Chomsky?

Pronunciation and intonation are crucial for language comprehension because they are part of the decoding process that converts auditory input into a format that matches the listener's internal language representations, allowing for understanding even when the words are pronounced differently.

Why does slang exist in language, and what role does it play, as discussed by Professor Chomsky?

Slang exists in language as a form of innovation and creativity, often used by groups, such as teenagers, to differentiate themselves and express their identity. It allows for the constant evolution and enrichment of language.

How does the use of language in the arts differ from everyday use, according to Professor Chomsky?

In the arts, language is used within formal conventions that are humanly created, reflecting aesthetic capacities and providing a framework for creative expression. This differs from everyday use, which is more spontaneous and less constrained by formal rules.

What does Professor Chomsky suggest about the innate capabilities of humans to understand and produce language?

Professor Chomsky suggests that humans have an innate capability to understand and produce language, which is rooted in the structure of the human brain. This capability allows for the rapid acquisition of language, especially in children, and the ability to interpret complex meanings from simple linguistic cues.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Language Evolution and Structural Differences

Professor Noam Chomsky discusses the complexities of language evolution, particularly noting the structural similarities and differences between French and German. He highlights that while French is a Romance language, it has unique characteristics that make it resemble Germanic languages in certain aspects, such as the inability to omit the subject pronoun in sentences. Chomsky emphasizes that language change is not a linear process and is influenced by various factors including political, social, and commercial interactions. He also touches on the modern concept of a 'national language' and how it contrasts with historical linguistic diversity.

05:02

🌐 Impact of Nationalism and Communication on Language

The conversation explores how the rise of nationalism and advancements in communication have shaped the development of national languages. Chomsky points out the significant differences in dialects within regions like Italy and Germany, which can be so diverse as to be unintelligible to one another. He discusses the historical and political factors that have led to the homogenization of languages, such as the spread of English in the United States due to conquest and the suppression of indigenous languages. The idea of language purity and the efforts to preserve it are also critiqued, with Chomsky suggesting that such notions are more about cultural identity than linguistic integrity.

10:03

📚 The Role of Education in Language Standardization

Chomsky delves into the role of education in standardizing language, noting that what is taught in schools often differs from the vernacular spoken at home. He argues that the literary standard of a language can be artificial and may include rules that are not natural to the way people actually speak. The necessity to teach these standards is questioned, as they are often not reflective of the language's natural evolution but rather a construct of social and political forces. Chomsky also discusses the challenges of teaching a national language as a second language in diverse linguistic regions.

15:04

🎭 Language in Art and the Role of Slang

The dialogue shifts to the use of language in artistic expression and the significance of slang. Chomsky acknowledges the human inclination for creativity and innovation in language, which is particularly evident in teenage cultures and can lead to rapid changes in vocabulary and style. He also addresses the conventions of language in the arts, such as the structured forms of poetry, and how these frameworks challenge and engage the reader's intellect. The conversation suggests that language, like other forms of art, is a medium through which humans express and explore their creativity.

20:04

😂 The Universality of Humor and Emotional Responses

Chomsky and the interviewer ponder the universal aspects of humor and the power of language to evoke strong emotional responses. They agree that humor is not solely linguistic and that it may be rooted in deeper human nature. The discussion suggests that the capacity to find certain things comical or to be moved by a few words is likely an innate human trait, akin to our physiological development. Chomsky expresses amazement at the complexity of the human mind's ability to interpret and respond to language, which remains largely a mystery.

25:05

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parental Influence on Language Acquisition

The final paragraph addresses the role of parents in language development, with Chomsky suggesting that children's language acquisition is largely influenced by their social environment, particularly their peers. He downplays the ability of parents to significantly alter the natural course of language learning, noting that children typically adopt the language of their cultural context. Chomsky also reflects on the remarkable ability of young children to rapidly acquire vocabulary, highlighting the innate human capacity for language learning that surpasses adult language learning capabilities.

Keywords

💡Language evolution

Language evolution refers to the process by which languages change over time. In the script, the discussion revolves around why languages like French and German have developed distinct characteristics. The concept is central to understanding the historical and cultural factors that influence linguistic development, as illustrated by the comparison between French and German, and the structural changes in French from medieval times to the modern era.

💡Romance languages

Romance languages are a group of languages that evolved from Latin, including French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian. The script highlights French as an exception among Romance languages due to its structural similarities with Germanic languages. This keyword is crucial for understanding the diversity within language families and how languages can diverge from their common roots.

💡Germanic languages

Germanic languages, such as German, English, and Dutch, are a branch of the Indo-European language family. The script points out that French shares certain features with Germanic languages, which makes it structurally different from other Romance languages. This keyword helps to contrast language families and underscores the unique path of French language evolution.

💡Mutual intelligibility

Mutual intelligibility is the ability of speakers of different languages or dialects to understand each other. The script discusses how different dialects within a language can lead to a lack of mutual intelligibility, as is the case with regional variations in Italy and Germany. This concept is important for understanding the practical implications of language variation and change.

💡National language

A national language is a language that is recognized as the official language of a nation or country. The script mentions the rise of national languages as a modern phenomenon associated with nationalism and communication. This keyword is significant for discussing the standardization of languages and its impact on linguistic diversity.

💡Dialects

Dialects are regional varieties of a language that are characterized by particular发音, grammar, and vocabulary. The script uses the example of dialects in France to illustrate how language can vary greatly even within a small geographical area. Understanding dialects is essential for grasping the complexity and richness of language at a local level.

💡Linguistic determinism

Linguistic determinism is the idea that language influences thought and behavior. While not explicitly mentioned, the script's discussion of the clarity and structure of French versus other languages touches on this concept. It's relevant for exploring how language structure might affect cognitive processes and cultural perspectives.

💡Literary language

The literary language refers to the standardized, formal version of a language used in writing and formal speech. The script contrasts the literary language with colloquial speech, indicating that what is taught in schools may not reflect the natural language acquisition process. This keyword is important for understanding the distinction between formal and informal language use.

💡Slang

Slang consists of informal words or phrases associated with a particular group or subculture. The script mentions slang as an example of language innovation and creativity, particularly among teenagers. This keyword is relevant for discussing the dynamic nature of language and how it adapts to social changes and identities.

💡Language acquisition

Language acquisition is the process by which humans learn a language, particularly during childhood. The script highlights the rapid and natural acquisition of language by children, contrasting it with the struggles adults face when learning new languages. This keyword is central to understanding the innate human capacity for language and the critical period for language learning.

💡Artificial language rules

Artificial language rules refer to prescriptive grammar rules that are not necessarily based on actual language usage but are imposed by educational or cultural authorities. The script critiques the teaching of such rules, suggesting they are often not reflective of natural language development. This keyword is important for discussing the tension between prescribed and descriptive linguistics.

Highlights

Language evolution is not a simple measure of difference; French is structurally closer to Germanic languages in some aspects.

In French, unlike other Romance languages, the subject of a sentence cannot be deleted, making it similar to Germanic languages.

French has developed clitic pronouns attached to verbs, a feature it shares with other Romance languages but not with Germanic languages.

Old and Middle French were more similar to other Romance languages, indicating a historical change towards Germanic features.

Language change is not linear; it involves a mixture of dialects influenced by various social and political factors.

The concept of a national language is a modern phenomenon linked to nationalism and communication.

Language is not a static entity; it's a dynamic system that evolves with the mix of dialects over time.

Predicting language evolution is impossible due to the multitude of influencing factors, much like weather prediction.

The idea of 'pure' language is a sociopolitical construct rather than a linguistic one.

Language rules taught in schools are often artificial and not reflective of natural language acquisition.

Literary language is a standard that may differ from colloquial speech and is taught for social cohesion.

Pronunciation and intonation are crucial for language understanding as they affect the decoding of sounds.

Slang exists as an expression of individual and group creativity within language.

Language in the arts follows human-created conventions that provide a framework for creativity.

Poetry engages the mind due to its compressed form and formal structure, challenging the reader's interpretation.

Humor in language is a response to human nature and is not taught but universally understood.

Words can evoke strong emotions due to the complex and rich structure of the human mind.

Children's language development is primarily influenced by their peers, not necessarily by parental input.

The study of language and linguistics provides insight into the workings of the human mind.

Transcripts

[Music]

the following program is a WTV

[Music]

classic from the University of

Washington in Seattle upon reflection

with Al page Our Guest is Professor gome

Chomsky from the Massachusetts Institute

of Technology and a guest lecturer at

the University of Washington what

determines how language in a particular

country evolves

why is French for example so different

from German well first of all you're

assuming the French is so different from

German then the French would probably

say so you know there there's no simple

measure of how different languages are

from one another in fact if you look at

the languages structurally the way a

linguist would look at them French is

different from the other romance

languages in a variety of ways uh which

are which make it more similar to German

and other Germanic languages there are a

number of features of French which are

sort of German in character give us some

of those features well for just to take

a simple one in in all the romance

languages except for French uh you can

delete the subject of a sentence you can

say the equivalent of walks to the store

meaning he walks to the store uh we

can't do that in English but you can do

it in Italian or Spanish and in fact

it's common romance goes right back to

Latin French is the only romance

language in which you can't do that it's

like a Germanic language pretty much in

that respect

uh in uh

uh there what they have what they call

CICS small pronouns that you attach to

verb so you say the equivalent of I him

saw that's common romance but in the

other romance languages you can do

things like I him want to see you can do

that in all meaning I want to see him

but not in French and uh the uh for a

variety of constructions actually uh

there there are quite a number of

respects in which French is different

from the other romance languages

incidentally old French middle French

say French in the medieval period was

not it was like the other romance

languages so something happened to it

that made it less like the romance

languages and more like the Germanic

languages how does language change over

time how did 18th century French change

compared to 12th century French well you

know when we talk about language change

that's very misleading I mean there is

no such thing as a language in Fr I mean

up until say the turn of the centur

uh you could find people in nearby

villages in France who couldn't

understand one virtually could not

understand one another the idea of a

national language is a pretty modern

phenomenon it has to do with the rise of

nationalism and communication and so on

or take say Italy today or Germany today

I mean the differences among the things

that we call German are enormous so

enormous as to lead to non-mutual

intelligibility you have to learn the

national language when you go to school

it's a different language than the one

you spoke at home uh and uh when we talk

about language changing what's actually

happening is that there's some it's kind

of like species changing there's a

mixture of all sorts of dialects and the

the mix changes over time either because

of conquest or some political change or

boundaries are drawn in a different

place or uh you know some kind of

commercial interchange or whatever the

the mixture of these things changes over

time and you know you take a look at it

a few centuries apart it looks like

there's a different language but what's

happened is what what happens is that

between Generations there are usually

small changes having to do with other

influences from the outside and so on

and these things are cumulative

sometimes they lead to pretty dramatic

changes I mean within a couple of

generations the language can have a can

change structurally in quite dramatic

ways and of course in a lexicon you know

the words of the language will that's a

different matter altogether so when

technology develops you get a whole new

vocabulary but if you were in France in

the 12th century and you understood all

the nuances of language could you have

predicted how these various languages

would have evolved over time no it's

totally impossible I mean it's but is it

is it partially random it's not so much

that it's random I was it's not actually

random I for all we know it might be

completely deterministic there's just

too many factors involved it's like you

know it's like predicting the weather

there just too many things going on uh

the uh human life is a pretty

complicated Affair and and uh now

culture our cultur is are T speakers of

English can be misled by this English is

relatively homogeneous you can go a long

way in the United States you know I mean

I just came from Boston and I understand

everybody in Portland and Seattle and so

on but that's not true of most of the

world most of the world uh language

areas langu that you can get very

different languages pretty close by and

much of the world is what we would call

multilingual the closer I get to the

border between France and Germany would

the closer the languages become yeah

well in particular if you go from say

Paris to Rome as you go toward the

Italian border it starts to sound more

more like Italian and at some point it

becomes Italian and there's there isn't

in fact I mean up by now there's you

know there's enough National unity and

so on so you can really find a border

but if you go back a little ways there

was no border there was just a I

wouldn't say Continuum there just

constant changes and fluctuations and

variations and you started speaking

one thing in one place and another thing

in another place and they're not

mutually intelligible often but along

the way there just all sorts of changes

now with the rise of national States and

especially National Communications and

National Education systems and all of

these things which is a pretty modern

phenomenon uh then you get what we call

national languages now as I say English

is unusual uh the reason if you after

all go to pre-colonial Times there were

just hundreds of thousands probably of

different languages spoken in what's now

called United States well through the

destruction of the indigenous population

and it was real destruction kind of

genocidal and the conquest by speakers

of basically one group uh you ended up

having a large homogeneous language but

how could anybody have predicted that I

mean it had to do with the invention of

guns and you know political conquest and

all sorts of things and that's pretty

much what human history is there are

some theorists for example who argue

that they must work very hard to keep

the French language pure what does that

mean it doesn't mean anything I mean

there there's an old I mean virtually

every national language every National

culture or at least the European ones

maybe others uh has a mythology that

that's the only real pure language and

all the others are corrupt uh in France

this is this position is kind of extreme

in fact if you go back to its Origins

it's even a little bit comical I don't

know if anybody's actually studied it

but if you go back to say the 18th

century and you read say

d uh he explains D very U you know

seriously that U he says here's a

prediction for you he says France is

going to be the language of Science and

German and English will be the languages

of literature and the reason for this is

that French is very clear in France the

words follow the order of the thoughts

whereas if you look if you listen to

German and English the words don't quite

follow the words of the thought so

France is good for telling the French is

good for telling the truth because of

its what later came to be called its GAC

Lucidity and Clarity whereas a German

and I think it examples were German and

English maybe Italian uh it's they're

good languages for telling fantasies and

falsehoods so they'll be the languages

of literature now you can it's a sort of

naive point of view but you can see what

was going on in his head I mean for him

the words in French followed the order

of thoughts uh when you hear German it

seems all confused I mean they're

thinking in some other way speaker of

German looks the opposite of course uh

and uh I suspect that the mythology of

the uh Purity and lucidity and the

clarity of French goes back to ideas of

that kind after all French culture had a

a

certain dominance and appeal for a long

time so these attitudes get established

but what does it mean for the language

to be pure or when people say they want

English to be pure what are they talking

about was Shakespeare pure I mean in

fact every stage of History languages

are there is first of all there is no

such thing as a language there are just

lots of different ways of speaking that

different people have which are more or

less similar to one another uh and uh

some of them may have may may have

Prestige associated with them for

example some of them may be the the

speech of a conquering group or a

wealthy group or a Priestly cast or one

thing or another and we may decide okay

those are the uh the good ones and some

other ones the bad one but if uh if

social and political relations reversed

we'd make the opposite conclusions say

take black English Today black English

is considered not quite proper English

on the other hand if blacks happened to

have all the power and own all the

corporations and whites were working for

them it would be the other way around

black English would be the language of

culture and Science and so on and the

stuff that you and I speak would be

considered a degenerate dialect which

you have to get people out of so that

they'll be able to think but that raises

an interesting question why does

language have rules why were we taught

these rules in grade school why is bad

grammar bad grammar well uh when you're

taught rules of your own language in

grade school the chances are very strong

that what you're being taught is false

uh otherwise you wouldn't have to be

taught it but I can see every grade

school teacher about to throw an orange

at you on the screen there's unfort well

we have let me be a little more nuanced

one of the things you learn in grade

school is the literary language now in

English the literary standard is not so

radically different from what say you

and I grew up with but it's somewhat

different the literary standard is not

what I learned in the streets it's not

very different but it's a little

different and when I went to school I I

was taught the literary standard now the

literary standard has some principles

associated with it some of which are

those of a real language some of which

are completely artificial they were made

up by people who had crazy ideas about

language and they're all given names you

never heard of before and in fact the

reason you have to teach them is because

they are not the person's language

nobody your actual language nobody

teaches you I me your language just

grows in your head you know you can't

it's stick a child in a a young child in

an environment where people are speaking

language and that child can no more help

knowing that language than the child can

help growing it's just part of human

growth is for the some component of the

brain to pick up the Lang language you

can't learn it and you don't learn it

anym than you learn to see now the fact

is that the the system that grows in the

brain is sometimes different from a

system which is regarded for whatever

reason as necessary or appropriate or

approved or something some pre there

some Prestige dialect and it may be

different from what grew in your brain

it typically is or it may be a way of

trying to get us to have a common Bond

through language well possible I mean I

think that see that's a problem in

places like say Italy in Italy when

you if if somebody grows up in the

pedmont area and somebody else grows up

in the Naples area they they speak

totally different languages they can't

neither can understand a word the other

saying uh so there when you teach what

they call Italian which is the language

roughly of the area of Florence of

Tuscany you're teaching people what it

amounts to a second language and it's

the national language same as in Germany

and China well China is even worse

because what we call Chinese is a set of

languages which are as different from

one another as the different romance

languages they just happen to be all

yellow on the map or something and they

happen to be a unified political area

but there's no sense in which they're

the same Lang we call them Chinese

dialects but that would be like calling

French and Romanian two different

dialects are the same language Latin or

something I mean all of these terms have

no linguistic meaning they have only

sociopolitical iCal meaning of a very

complex sort and the the the way in

which they interact with authority

structures is crucial so what we call

good English is a system which is partly

artificial I should say which is taught

to people uh because it was legislated

to be good English now some of what is

taught it breaks the rules of any

conceivable human language that's why it

has to be taught over and over again so

I don't know if people still do it in

school but when I was in school you had

to learn all sorts of complicated

nonsense about shall and will which

nobody could ever remember I mean I

forget what it word I I shall you will

or some strange thing uh that violates

there's no I mean there are certain

principles of human biology which

determine what a language can be and no

language can be like that so that had to

be in fact we you can trace that back

and you can find out who invented it you

know some Bishop in the 17th century or

something invented it and decided that's

the way it's supposed to be now that

kind of thing of course has to be taught

because it's totally artificial or you

have to teach people how to say um

uh he and I instead of him and me well

English sort of works the other way I

mean if nobody was bothering you in

English you'd probably say him and me or

here or something like that but you're

taught in the standard language not to

do that there's some other invented

language which is called the literary

standard in which you don't do it and

you ask the question why do you have to

teach people well you have to teach them

because it's artificial it's not their

language and often it's not just not

their language sometimes it's not even

any possible language why is

pronunciation and intonation so

important to language why aren't words

themselves sufficient to convey meaning

well you have to understand somebody

else's words I mean if you go to Central

London and somebody's pronoun speaking

Cockney and uh the words happen to match

ours at some abstract level you still

may not understand them the

pronunciation may be different enough so

that your part of your knowledge of

language is a way of decoding uh noises

that you hear and converting them into a

system that matches your own

representations sometimes now in order

for that decoding system to work the

systems have to be close enough you and

I can do it actually if you listen to us

closely we're speaking different

languages but they're close enough so

that we don't have any I don't have

problem decoding you and you don't have

a problem decoding me uh but again

that's a little artificial that's

because of the artificial Unity of the

English language spoken in the United

States I happen to be in England last

week and I can find myself in places in

England where I don't understand what

they're saying I mean if if I listen to

them for a while we can establish

communication but you have to kind of

retune your system in some manner that's

not understood so that you can begin to

decode what you're hearing what role

does slang have in a language why does

slang exist well people are I why I

don't know but the fact is people are

very Innovative and they like to do

things differently and especially

teenage cultures why do teenagers wear

different clothes well you know whatever

the reason is they want to be different

they like to be Innovative they're

creative and

Fashions and language oh sure and in

fact there are styles of different

groups they some of them change very

rapidly uh the words that are in in one

era are archaic and in another the era

can be three years or something like

that and people are playing with their

languages often again this is not too

common in our societies our societies

remember are basically technological

societies our intelligence and cre

creativity and so on goes into other

things but if you go to say Central

Australia where you're where you're

finding basically Stone Age tribes

there's a lot of innovation in language

a lot of the cultural wealth has to do

with playing games with languages and

constructing elaborate kinship systems

and things which probably have no or

little functional utility it's just the

creative mind that work you know uh so

you get so you get very complex language

games special language system taught as

a puberty right and only a particular

group of people speak it nobody else

understands it does language differ in

the way that it's used in the Arts first

of all there there's a variety of

conventions of of formal conventions

that are humanly created but undoubtedly

reflect our aesthetic capacities uh

that's set a framework within which they

set a framework of rule humanly imposed

rule within PE within which people

create so if I mean an extreme case if

you write a Sonet you have to come

pretty close to a fixed frame uh and

while that's an extreme case case the

same is true of other literary

conventions I mean these part of human

creative innovention has been to create

forms aesthetic forms which are somehow

either appealing to us or challenge our

intelligence or whatever and it's a you

work within them I mean after all

painting a painting on a piece of canvas

that's uh that has a boundary that's

pretty recent in human history and that

that itself imposes a framework which

determines the kind of that you can

produce and in the U the literary use of

language is just a everything from the

structure of a novel to the uh to the

metric character of a poetic form is one

or another uh human invention do you

respond to poetry do I sure I have time

to read it does it does it make you

think differently soort what what goes

on in your thought

processes well you know that's I'm not I

don't feel competent to say but it's

it's a topic that has been discussed

quite intelligently so for example if

you read say not by me I have nothing to

say about it no to pretend to but if you

read say William amon's seven types of

ambiguity you get an intriguing account

of why poetry makes you think in part

because it's so compressed you know and

and you only get hints so the reader has

to impose a lot of structure you have to

put your own self into it and in part

because you

the formal structure itself imposes a

challenge to the intelligence uh if

you're just throwing paints around

randomly it's not a work of art you know

but when they're when it's done within

the framework of a humanly constructed

system of

rule it at least you've got the

prerequisites for a work of art still

may not be whatever it takes whatever

creativity is and that's not understood

that has to be there

too uh but I uh s I have nothing to say

about these topics I wouldn't pretend to

we bring up another area you can claim

you have no expertise in and that's the

use of humor we respond to people who

use humor and communication yet it's not

taught in grade school we don't we're

not taught how to be comedians but we

respond to it and that seems to be the

case in almost every language well see I

don't think that has I too much to do

with language we can be humorous in

other ways too a clown can be humorous

without using the use of without using

language and nobody teaches a child how

to laugh at a clown now I think uh we're

we're going here to interesting topics

but topics where nothing is understood

uh there's no doubt in my mind that

there's something about human nature you

know the basic structure of the human

mind brain which makes certain things

comical and other things not just as

there's certain things about the human

brain that make some things come out to

be a human language and others not

although they could be a Martian

language or something and at its root

it's I don't think fundamentally

different from the fact that we grow

arms and not wings now we don't know why

we grow arms and not wings but you

assume that it's got something to do

with the human genetic endowment and I

think the comparable assumption is true

in all these cases one of the part of

the fascination of the study of language

is that it's one of the few examples

where you can really get some insight

into how it works these other topics

that you're mentioning say humor should

be objected to the same kind of study

but so far it hasn't been clear how to

do it you

know words are endlessly fascinating I

think because it's amazing how somebody

can walk in a room hear a few words and

walk out crying or angry or this whole

series of emotions simply with a few

words doesn't that constantly Amaze you

it's not just words again it could be a

fleeting picture I take say a caricature

you see a few lines you know and it

brings to your mind find uh a person in

a situation maybe a tragic situation or

comical situation or whatever I mean the

human mind is a very marvelous thing uh

it's it's got an extremely intricate and

complex structure which at least at a

scientific level we understand very

little about but what you're prescri

pointing to is central part of it little

hints here and there succeed in evoking

in us very rich experience uh and

interpretation and what's more it's done

surprisingly uniformly for different

people which mean and it's of course

done without any training or very

minimal training nobody would know how

to train people to do this uh so this it

somehow must be the only logical

possibility aside from Angels or acts of

God is it's something rooted in our

nature I mean qualitatively speaking

these phenomena are very much like

physical

growth the the nutrition that's given to

an organism to an embryo is not what

determines that it's going to be a human

or a bird uh what determines that it's

going to be a human or a bird is

something about its internal structure

and what determines that we are going to

be the kind of creature that can speak

and that can uh

uh interpret a sign or a a line couple

of lines or something as uh evoking an

emotional experience or whatever that's

something in our nature but it's so far

beyond what we know how to study that uh

you can only wave your hands at it at

the moment how should parents react with

respect to exposing their children to

language should they expose them to all

aspects of language or should they

simply let them develop any way they

develop I suspect there's very little

that parents can do to change the course

of language development I mean you can I

mean you can we know from exper again

let me say I I'm not speaking about this

from any expertise I don't have any more

expertise than personal experience

there's nothing in linguistic the theory

that gives answers to this question but

experience suffices to indicate I know

cases that you

can create an environment in which a

5-year-old will sound like a college

professor and it's kind of comical but

they'll use big words and you know

complicated sentences and so on I

suspect you're probably harming the

5-year-old but it's possible to do that

children can be molded on the other hand

if you just leave them alone they're

going to pick up the language of their

culture typically they'll pick up the

language of their peers quite typically

there are exceptions but typically

children will learn the language they

heard in the streets so it take me uh my

father spoke with a Ukrainian accent and

my mother spoke with a mixed New York

Lithuanian accent and I spoke Urban

Philadelphia because that's what the

kids were talking in the streets uh and

undoubtedly if you really took my speech

patterns and so on aside you'd find

influences from the parents and the

uncles and so on but overwhelmingly it's

a you pick up the pure culture why this

happens nobody knows and how that but

but there's something about humans

children that that gets them to grow the

language that's roughly that of their

peers uh and it's it's a very rich

system that's extremely rich system they

don't try they can't prevent themselves

from doing it they can't make it happen

uh the the parents can enrich the I CH

anyone who has a 2-year-old knows that

the kid is running around all over the

place trying to find out what the name

of everything is you know what's that

what's that what's that and you can help

them and you can you know you can read

the children and show them pictures and

they're all fascinated with it they're

in a they periods of very rapid language

growth where you just can't satiate the

Curiosity fast enough amazingly so it's

unbelievable in fact what actually

happens is is is really astonishing I

mean there have been for example that

the peak periods of forget the structure

of language which is complicated enough

but just take vocabulary acquisition the

simplest part

at at Peak periods of acquisition of

vocabulary learning new words uh

children are picking them up at maybe a

rate of one an hour or something which

means that they're essentially learning

a word on one exposure and the adults go

into adult education and die trying to

learn a new language oh yeah but you

know if you think what it means to learn

a word on one exposure the the way to

understand how amazing and achievement

this is is to try to define a word so

suppose you had an organism that wasn't

equipped to learn the words of human

language and you really had to teach it

those words by training well you'd first

have to define a word what is the

meaning of table for instance nobody can

do that you have to define the

definition you're using to define the

word but you see what we call

definitions are not definitions they're

just hints if you take the Oxford

English Dictionary you know the one you

read with the magnifying glass uh and

they give you a long detailed thing

which they call the definition of a word

in fact it's very far from the

definition of a word it's a few hints

that a person who already knows the

concept can use to understand what's

going on but remember the child is

picking that up not from the Oxford

English Dictionary with its whole array

of hints the child's picking it up from

seeing it used once or twice now that

can only mean one thing it can only mean

that the concept itself in all of its

richness and complexity is somehow

sitting there waiting to have a sound

associated with it now that can't be

quite true but something very much like

that is probably true that's why you and

I will have essentially the same concept

of table and the same concept of person

uh and of U you

know Nation or all sorts of things and

not complicated things I mean really

simple things like like person for

instance or thing you know we'll have

that even though we all have very

limited experience because basically we

started with those Concepts we're

getting down to the end of the show do

you ever see a time when the study of

language and Linguistics will not

Fascinate You well I suppose so the must

come sometime when your mind

deteriorates to the point where you

can't deal with hard questions I guess

that'll happen Professor gome Chomsky

from the Massachusetts Institute of

Technology and a guest lecturer at the

University of Washington upon

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