PSYC-281 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Language Acquisition Device, Verbal Behavior, Noam Chomsky
24 Apr 2017
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Language and words can be generated independently of the environment. Wrote a book called verbal behaviour (1957) is regarded as skinner"s most important work because of how important language is for people. Chomsky (1959), social critic, linguist, critic of skinner"s work. Said principles of shaping, punishment, reinforcement is too slow. Children learn language faster than the principles of learning. Skinner never responded to chomsky because he said that chomsky did fully understand what skinner had wrote and was too hostile. Skinner didn"t want to reinforce critical behaviour, so he never responded to criticisms. Later regretted not responding to this one because of its promotion of anti-behaviourism. Genetic basis to learn language: people have an innate ability to learn language. Innate template or framework to organize language, which is why many different language have similar structures. The brain has a combination of both that helps humans learn language. Chomsky argued for a certain structure of language.
