Innatism (a quick lesson)

University Buddies

27 Jan 202103:50

Summary

TLDRThis transcript discusses the theory of innatism, particularly in language learning, championed by Noam Chomsky. It argues that language acquisition is primarily driven by innate cognitive structures, with minimal input from the environment. Chomsky's 'poverty of the stimulus' highlights how children learn perfect grammar despite incomplete and flawed speech input. The process involves hypothesis testing and rule acquisition, not imitation. The theory introduces concepts like universal grammar, which is present in the brain and shaped by specific languages. Language acquisition is considered unique to humans and separate from general cognitive development.

Takeaways

🧠 Innatism, also known as nativism, believes that the mind is the primary driver of language learning, with minimal help from the environment.
📚 Noam Chomsky is the main proponent of innatism and criticized behaviorism for its inconsistencies in explaining language learning.
🗣️ Chomsky introduced the concept of 'poverty of the stimulus,' arguing that environmental input is insufficient to explain language acquisition.
👶 Despite being exposed to imperfect speech, children develop grammatically correct language, which supports Chomsky's theory.
❌ Errors in language learning are viewed as hypothesis testing by learners, who internally develop grammar and occasionally make mistakes.
🔄 Over-generalization occurs when learners apply grammar rules to exceptions, demonstrating that learners acquire rules rather than merely imitate speech.
🧩 Innatists argue that there is a specific part of the brain, known as the Language Acquisition Device (LAD), dedicated to learning language.
🌍 Universal grammar, an innate mental structure, shapes the grammar of all languages, and learners mold it to fit specific languages like English.
🔬 Universal grammar provides constraints on grammar possibilities, while input from the environment determines which specific grammar rules are followed.
⏳ The Language Acquisition Device is most effective in early childhood and typically becomes less accessible after puberty, aligning with a critical period for language learning.

Q & A

What is innatism, also known as nativism, in language learning theory?
-Innatism, or nativism, is the belief that the primary driver of language learning is the mind, with minimal influence from the environment. It argues that humans are born with an innate ability to acquire language.
Who is the main proponent of innatism in language learning?
-The main proponent of innatism in language learning is Noam Chomsky.
What is Noam Chomsky's criticism of behaviorism in relation to language learning?
-Chomsky criticized behaviorism, claiming that it does not adequately explain how children learn language. He argued that behaviorism fails to account for the real-world complexities of language learning.
What does Chomsky mean by the 'poverty of the stimulus'?
-The 'poverty of the stimulus' refers to the idea that the linguistic input children receive from their environment is insufficient to explain their ability to acquire complex grammar and language.
How does Chomsky illustrate the concept of 'poverty of the stimulus'?
-Chomsky points out that children are often exposed to incomplete or incorrect speech, yet they develop grammatically correct language. For example, children instinctively know that certain sentences are wrong without having been explicitly told.
What role do errors play in language learning according to innatists?
-Innatists believe that errors occur when learners test their hypotheses about language rules. These errors are part of the learning process and reflect an internal understanding of grammar that may differ from socially accepted norms.
What is over-generalization in language learning?
-Over-generalization happens when language learners apply a grammatical rule to situations where it doesn't apply, such as using 'tooths' instead of 'teeth'. This shows that learners are actively forming rules, not just imitating speech.
What is the role of the Language Acquisition Device (LAD) according to innatists?
-The LAD is a hypothetical mechanism in the brain, proposed by Chomsky, that enables children to acquire language. It provides the child with innate principles of grammar, which are then shaped by their exposure to a specific language.
What is Universal Grammar according to Noam Chomsky?
-Universal Grammar is the concept that all human languages share a common underlying structure, and it is this shared structure that humans are born with. Language learning involves shaping this universal grammar into the specific grammar of the language being learned.
What is the critical period in language acquisition?
-The critical period refers to the time frame during which the Language Acquisition Device (LAD) is active, allowing children to acquire language easily. After puberty, this device typically atrophies, making language learning more difficult.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 The Role of Innatism in Language Learning

Innatism, also known as nativism, posits that language learning is primarily driven by the mind, with minimal input from the environment. Noam Chomsky is the main proponent of this theory, criticizing behaviorism for its inability to explain how people, especially children, acquire language. Chomsky's 'poverty of the stimulus' argument highlights that even with incomplete or flawed language input, children still develop perfect grammar. This suggests an innate language faculty.

🔍 Chomsky's Poverty of the Stimulus

Chomsky uses examples to illustrate his poverty of the stimulus theory. Despite hearing fragmented and incorrect speech, children develop an accurate understanding of grammar. He gives an example where people intuitively know a grammatically incorrect sentence without prior correction, supporting the idea that language rules are internally derived rather than solely learned from the environment.

🧪 Hypothesis Testing in Language Learning

Innatists believe that language learners, including children, make errors as part of testing their internal hypotheses about language rules. Learners use these errors to refine their understanding of grammar, with over-generalization being a common phenomenon. For example, children may say 'sheeps' or 'tooths,' applying grammatical rules even to exceptions. This process, according to innatists, demonstrates that language learners acquire rules rather than imitate speech.

🧬 The Language Acquisition Device (LAD)

Chomsky and other innatists argue that there is a specific part of the brain, the Language Acquisition Device (LAD), dedicated to language learning. This LAD is tied to the concept of universal grammar, which represents an innate set of grammar principles that are shaped by language input. Learners use a finite set of sounds and words to produce infinite sentences, reflecting the presence of internal grammatical structures.

🌍 Universal Grammar and Language Acquisition

Innatists believe that universal grammar contains fundamental language rules common to all languages, making these easier to learn than specific, unique rules. Universal grammar provides a structure, and environmental input helps learners choose the correct options for a specific language. Markedness refers to rules not derived from universal grammar, and innatists compare language acquisition to biological evolution.

👶 The Role of the Child's Acquisition Device

The primary driver of first language acquisition is the child’s genetically endowed Language Acquisition Device, which helps children form principles about grammar. The LAD becomes less effective with age, typically ceasing to function by puberty. Language learning is a process of hypothesis testing, where children relate their mother tongue to universal grammar principles, solidifying language acquisition.

🧠 Language as a Cognitive Process

In conclusion, innatists view language as a human-specific cognitive faculty that is separate from general intellectual mechanisms. Language is believed to exist independently in the mind, and although it interacts with broader cognitive functions, it operates based on principles rooted in universal grammar. Language acquisition is an innate mental process.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Innatism

Innatism, also referred to as 'nativism,' is the theory that the ability to learn language is inherent in the human mind. According to this view, humans are born with a built-in capacity for language acquisition, requiring only minimal input from the environment to develop it. The video emphasizes Noam Chomsky's role as the main proponent of this theory, which argues against behaviorism, suggesting that language learning is driven more by internal cognitive mechanisms than external stimuli.

💡Noam Chomsky

Noam Chomsky is a linguist and cognitive scientist, widely known for his contributions to the theory of Innatism. In the video, he is cited as a key critic of behaviorism, advocating that language learning cannot be fully explained by environmental input alone. Chomsky introduced concepts like 'poverty of the stimulus' and argued that humans possess a 'universal grammar,' an innate mental faculty that allows them to acquire language naturally.

💡Poverty of the stimulus

Poverty of the stimulus is a concept introduced by Chomsky to argue that the language input children receive is insufficient to explain their ability to learn complex grammatical structures. The video illustrates this idea by pointing out that children are often exposed to incomplete or flawed speech, yet they still develop a perfect understanding of grammar. This is used to support the claim that language learning is driven by innate mental processes rather than solely by environmental factors.

💡Behaviorism

Behaviorism is a theory of learning that suggests behaviors are acquired through interaction with the environment, particularly through imitation and reinforcement. The video discusses how Chomsky criticized behaviorism for its inability to account for the complexities of language acquisition. Chomsky argued that children do not merely imitate speech but instead acquire internal rules that guide their language development, which aligns more with the theory of Innatism.

💡Universal Grammar

Universal Grammar refers to the theoretical construct proposed by Chomsky that suggests all human languages share a common underlying structure. According to the video, universal grammar is an innate mental framework that helps shape specific grammars, like English, based on environmental input. The concept is central to Innatism, which holds that language acquisition is guided by pre-existing, universal principles in the brain.

💡Hypothesis testing

Hypothesis testing is a process in which language learners experiment with language rules to see if their assumptions about grammar are correct. The video highlights this as part of the Innatist theory, suggesting that errors made by learners are not mistakes, but rather the result of testing grammatical hypotheses. For example, children may overgeneralize rules (e.g., saying 'sheeps' instead of 'sheep'), which shows they are applying internal rules rather than merely imitating speech.

💡Overgeneralization

Overgeneralization occurs when learners apply a grammatical rule too broadly, including cases where exceptions exist. The video gives examples like 'sheeps' and 'tooths,' showing how children or second language learners sometimes mistakenly apply pluralization rules to irregular nouns. This behavior supports the Innatist view that learners acquire and apply rules, and are not simply repeating what they have heard.

💡Markedness

Markedness refers to the concept that some linguistic features are more common or 'unmarked,' while others are rare or 'marked.' The video briefly mentions markedness in the context of language learning, suggesting that universal grammar provides a range of grammatical options, and the environment helps learners select which rules to follow. Marked features are typically more difficult to learn because they are less frequent in language use.

💡Language Acquisition Device (LAD)

The Language Acquisition Device (LAD) is a theoretical construct proposed by Chomsky to describe the innate mental mechanism that enables children to acquire language. The video describes LAD as a genetically endowed faculty that provides children with an inherent understanding of grammatical principles. This device is said to become less effective as children age, with its functionality typically declining during puberty.

💡Errors in language learning

In the context of Innatism, errors in language learning are viewed as a natural part of the hypothesis-testing process rather than simple mistakes. The video explains that these errors, such as overgeneralization, reflect the learner's internal grammar, which may differ from the socially accepted rules of language. These 'errors' demonstrate that learners are actively trying to figure out the grammatical rules of the language they are acquiring.

Highlights

Innatism, also known as nativism, believes the main driver of language learning is the mind, with minimal help from the environment.

Noam Chomsky is the primary proponent of innatism and criticized behaviorism for its inconsistencies with real-world language learning.

Chomsky's 'poverty of the stimulus' concept argues that environmental input is insufficient to explain language acquisition, especially in children.

Despite exposure to incomplete or incorrect language input, children develop perfect grammar.

Innatism suggests that learners' errors result from testing their hypotheses about language rules.

Over-generalization occurs when language learners apply a rule to exceptions, such as 'sheeps' or 'tooths.'

Chomsky's evidence for rule acquisition is that learners produce sentences they have never heard before, proving they aren't just imitating speech.

Innatists argue for a distinct brain faculty, called the Language Acquisition Device (LAD), which is responsible for language learning.

Universal Grammar (UG) is the innate structure in the brain that determines how language grammar is shaped.

Language universals, or properties common to all languages, are easier to learn than those specific to individual languages.

Universal Grammar limits the range of possible grammar rules, with input from the environment guiding specific language acquisition.

Markedness refers to the idea that certain rules not found in Universal Grammar need to be learned from the environment.

The LAD becomes less effective as people age, typically becoming unavailable after puberty.

Innatists believe language is a human-specific faculty, separate from other cognitive mechanisms responsible for intellectual development.

Language acquisition involves hypothesis testing, where learners relate their mother tongue's grammar to Universal Grammar principles.