Universal Grammar
E87784
Universal Grammar is a theoretical framework in linguistics, chiefly developed by Noam Chomsky, which posits an innate, biologically grounded set of structural principles shared by all human languages.
Statements (50)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
linguistic theory
→
theoretical framework in linguistics → theory of language acquisition → |
| aimsToExplain |
rapid language acquisition in children
→
similarities among the grammars of the world’s languages → |
| appliesTo |
all normal human children
→
|
| associatedWith |
Chomskyan linguistics
→
generative grammar → |
| contrastsWith |
behaviorist theories of language learning
→
connectionist models of language learning → usage-based theories of language acquisition → |
| coreIdea |
all human languages share a common structural basis
→
children are born with prior knowledge of possible grammatical structures → humans possess an innate language faculty → language ability is biologically grounded → |
| criticizedBy |
Daniel Everett
→
Michael Tomasello → cognitive linguists → functional linguists → |
| developedBy |
Noam Chomsky
→
|
| field |
linguistics
→
|
| hasCreator |
Noam Chomsky
→
|
| hasDebateOn |
biological reality of proposed principles
→
extent of innateness in language → universality of grammatical categories → |
| historicalPeriod |
20th century
→
21st century → |
| influenced |
computational models of grammar
→
language acquisition research → modern syntactic theory → theories of cognitive development → |
| influencedBy |
rationalist philosophy
→
|
| keyConcept |
language faculty
→
modularity of mind → poverty of the stimulus → principles and parameters → |
| languageType |
signed languages
→
spoken languages → |
| posits |
a set of universal principles underlying all human languages
→
constraints on possible human grammars → language-specific parameters that can vary across languages → |
| relatesTo |
cognitive science
→
language acquisition → philosophy of language → psycholinguistics → syntax → |
| scope |
all natural human languages
→
|
| supportedBy |
generative linguists
→
nativist theorists of language → |
| viewedAs |
biologically grounded property of the human brain
→
|
Referenced by (5)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Government and Binding Theory
→
Minimalist Program → The Minimalist Program → |
assumes |
|
Chomskyan linguistics
→
|
associatedWith |
|
Principles and Parameters Theory
→
|
relatedConcept |