ENG 401 – INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS

LESSON 1:
INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS OUTPUTS

NAME: LITO IDUCAN PROGRAM: MAEng DATE: JANUARY 28, 2022

Activity 2. Critical Viewing

(Watch the short interview with Noam Chomsky, then write a short summary of his ideas
about language.)

Noam Chomsky theorized that all humans are born with an innate language learning
device, with a structure that he refers to as a “Universal Grammar”.
Chomsky proposed some ideas that were new ways of thinking about language: the
theory of universal grammar, the idea that language is innate and the notion that language
acquisition occurs during critical development stages.
This theory suggests that all human languages share some innate, fundamental
similarities that exist in the brain, attributable to a unique language learning mechanism.in
accepting this theory then, it would mean that children are born with the ability to learn a
language already wired into their brain. The specific structure of their grammar would be
defined by the language they are exposed to.
Chomsky also believed that it was more than a coincidence that the majority of human
languages follow similar rules and patterns when it comes to grammar. He believed that,
while differences exist between languages, the fact that they all share core common
grammatical traits was not just a chance occurrence.