Innateness and universals.pptx

Innateness and universals.

Activity – Think-Pair-Share

If children are born with innate language ability, what universal features might all human languages share? What challenges remain about this innateness?

Nativist ApproachKey points

Children are born with innate language ability

Language Acquisition Device (LAD) / Universal Grammar (UG)

Explains rapid, efficient language learning

What is Universal Grammar?

• A set of universal principles shared by all human languages
• Provides structure and constraints for learning language
• Helps explain how children acquire complex grammar quickly

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• Principles: Universal rules applying to all languages
• Example: negation, questions, noun phrases
• Parameters: Language-specific settings
• Example: Head parameter — “head-first” (English) vs. “head-last” (Japanese)
• Example – Head Parameter
• English (head-first): “The boy that’s wearing a red shirt”
• Japanese (head-last): “Wa kabe ni kakkatte imasu” (picture wall on is hanging)

Principles vs. Parameters

Sentence Analysis

Sentences to analyze:

The boy kicked the ball.

The boy that’s wearing a red shirt kicked the ball.

Is she a great teacher?

Questions:

What universal principles do these illustrate?

How might a child learn these structures?

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Challenges to Innateness

• Genetic transmission of language ability still unclear
• Variability in how children acquire language
• Environment and social interaction play major roles
• Emergentist critiques question whether grammar is truly innate

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Collaborative Problem-Solving Activity

Each group receives a real-world teaching scenario where a student struggles with a language concept (e.g., forming questions, understanding negation).

Groups discuss and create a short plan to help the student, explicitly incorporating:

How innate universal grammar principles might support learning this concept.

How environmental factors (input, interaction) influence acquisition.

Summary

UG explains universal principles and language variation via parameters

Innateness helps explain rapid language learning but does not exclude environment

Understanding UG enriches language teaching

Thank you