PSYCH 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Noam Chomsky, Phonics, Universal Grammar
Document Summary
Noam chomsky proposed the idea that all language is governed by universal grammar, which is based on a set of innate rules. He argued that there are two main structures in language. Surface structure is the sound and order of words. Deep structure is the actual implicit meanings of sentences. People tend to extrapolate the deep structure of sentences from their surface structure. Children who learn languages with their hands show acquisition on the same timeline as children who acquire spoken languages. It shows people have a biologically endowed sensitivity for language. Environment also shapes the acquisition of language. Creole languages (which are mixtures of different languages) show similarity with other creole languages, rather than with their original languages. Attempts to teach animals different types of sign language have, for the most part, been relatively unsuccessful. Animals taught sign language were not able to construct meaningful sentences, but rather simply made requests.
