Noam Chomsky

is called a “critical period.” Something is expected to develop within this time and if it does not, it is significantly harder or even impossible to learn certain information or develop certain skills (Genie). Famous development psychologist, Noam Chomsky argues children are not taught grammar but acquire it through socialization—we are preprogrammed to develop language skills, especially during early childhood. Children learn through a hypothesized mental structure called the Language…

The theory of speech act was originally proposed by British philosopher J.L. Austin, and later American philosopher Searle made further improvements to this theory. The theory of speech act begins by studying the functions of everyday language. Austin believes that the unit of verbal communication is not a sentence, but a verbal behavior through sentences, such as thanks, warnings, promises, and so on. Austin divides speech acts into three categories: intra-behavioral behavior, illocutionary…

Ferdinand De Saussure was considered a linguistic prodigy who specialized in the teachings of structuralism and semiotics. He believed that we do not speak language, but language speaks us. Specifically, Saussure (1916) argued against the “default setting” that is nomenclature, stating “for some people a language, reduced to its essentials, is a nomenclature: a list of terms corresponding to a list of things” (p. 97). I am arguing in Saussure’s defense against nomenclature by highlighting his…

1. What three questions are important to consider when examining a language development theory? Write out each question and provide a description of the major points of all three. There are three questions that are important to consider when examining a language development theory. The first question is: What do infants bring to the task of language learning? This refers to infants’ language abilities when they are born and how they acquire language as they age. This question is essentially…

Psychology is discipline full of creation myths and opposing points of view. The history of psychology itself, as well the historiographies of the sub-disciplines within the field vary as they are told from multiple perspectives. Origin stories often reflect certain ideologies and dispositions, however; because of this, the truth of the history is often manipulated or misrepresented by the frameworks used to better illustrate certain movements. Psychology was historically understood as the study…

The main task of the preschool children's development is the formation of speech competence including the formation of speech activity. Speech competence is the ability to use language in practice (to express thoughts, intentions, requests), to use both verbal and non-verbal communication (facial expressions, gestures, movements) (Kravchenko, 2009, 39). According to Berk (1999, 358), there are several components of the language, such as that phonology, grammar, semantics and pragmatics. The…

Jackendoff's First Fundamental Argument refers the notion that for any language learn intern rules are created which he calls a mental grammar. Depending on the environment an individual grows up in, the pattern of language acquired become intern to an individual. Unconsciously, the individual accumulates X number of words. Later, these words are then being processed in patterns and rules that form words and sentences that applied to the language learned. Furthermore, he argues that in a…

This week’s theme was oral language and how the different views on this subject can help adults understand the importance of the early stages of a child’s language acquisition. In chapter two in Christie, a main topic was how theorist believe children acquire language, for example nativists and behaviorists. They focus on the ideas of nature vs nurture and how this can affect a child’s development. Nature involves a child’s biological capabilities which are predetermined by birth and nurture is…

During the 1980's, Noam Chomsky introduced a theory of Universal Grammar (UG), which stated that the knowledge of grammar was dependent on two components: principles, properties shared by all languages, and the parameters, the way in which these properties vary. Controversies abound with the UG model, but it does explain how all natural languages are similar in some respects and how humans are able to learn their first language as well as other languages. UG simplifies the ideas about learning a…

In Noam Chomsky’s, “Who Rules the World?” Chomsky addresses America’s hypocrisy in its role as a global superpower. Throughout the book, he brings to light how American actions don’t align with the values they try to enforce. As he considers the happenings of today’s world and the responsibilities of the intellectuals, Chomsky places himself among those devoted to a higher set of values, “the causes of freedom, justice, mercy, and peace.” Chomsky uses numerous historical references mixed with…