Language universals refer to characteristics or patterns that are found in all human languages.

These
universals are considered to be innate and inherent to human language. Ellis, along with other
linguists, explores the notion of language universals to understand how languages are structured and
how they function across different cultures and contexts

In 1986, Noam Chomsky proposed a distinction between externalized approaches (E-approaches)

and internalized approaches (I-approaches) to studying language.

Externalized Approaches (E-approaches): E-approaches focus on the observable aspects of language

acquisition, such as behaviors or the products of behaviors.

Key points about E-approaches:

 They are interested in how language is used and produced by individuals in real-life contexts.
 They study language acquisition from an external perspective, observing and analyzing the
behaviors and language performance of learners.
 E-approaches often draw on empirical evidence gathered through experiments,
observations, and analysis of linguistic data.
 They may focus on factors such as input frequency, reinforcement, imitation, and general
cognitive mechanisms to explain language acquisition.
 E-approaches are more aligned with the behaviorist tradition, which emphasizes the
influence of environmental factors and learning through stimulus-response associations.

Internalized Approaches (I-approaches): I-approaches, in contrast, are concerned with the mental
representation of language in the learner's mind and focus on uncovering the underlying linguistic
rules, principles, and universal properties that govern language.

Key points about I-approaches:

 They prioritize the analysis of the internal mental processes involved in language acquisition,
such as the construction of grammatical knowledge.
 I-approaches often rely on native speakers' intuitions and judgments to explore and establish
the linguistic rules and principles underlying language.
 They seek to understand the innate linguistic capacity that enables language acquisition and
the universals that are present across all human languages.
 I-approaches align more closely with the generative linguistic tradition, particularly
Chomsky's transformational-generative grammar framework, which postulates an innate
language acquisition device in the human mind.
Typological Universals and Universal Grammar are two approaches used in linguistic research to
explore and uncover language universals.

Typological Universals: Typological universals involve the cross-linguistic comparison of a wide range
of languages from different language families. The goal is to identify and analyze the features or
patterns that are common across languages. By studying a diverse set of languages, researchers aim
to identify recurring linguistic structures, processes, or properties that are shared among languages.

Key points about Typological Universals:

 Comparative method: This approach relies on comparing the structures, systems, and
features of different languages to identify similarities and differences.
 Large sample size: Typological universals involve analyzing data from a wide range of
languages to obtain a comprehensive understanding of common features.
 Language families: Languages from various language families are included to ensure a diverse
representation and reduce bias towards any particular group.
 Commonalities: The focus is on finding features that are shared or recurring across
languages, indicating potential linguistic universals.
 Data-driven: The analysis is based on empirical data gathered from descriptive studies,
language documentation, and linguistic typology.

Typological universals provide insights into the general tendencies and constraints in human
language, helping researchers understand the range of linguistic variation and the possible limits on
that variation.

Universal Grammar: Universal Grammar (UG) is a theory proposed by Noam Chomsky that seeks to
uncover the innate principles and structures underlying human language. It suggests that humans are
born with a language acquisition device (LAD) or a set of innate linguistic capacities that facilitate
language learning.

Key points about Universal Grammar:

 Innate language faculty: UG posits that there is a genetically determined cognitive module
dedicated to language acquisition in the human mind.
 Language-specific rules: UG assumes that there are specific linguistic principles and
structures common to all languages that are part of the innate endowment.
 In-depth analysis: This approach involves in-depth study of individual languages to
understand their specific grammatical features and structures.

Universal Grammar aims to identify the fundamental principles that are responsible for the
grammatical structures and rules found in all human languages. It provides a theoretical framework
to explain how language acquisition occurs and why certain language patterns are universal across
different cultures and languages.
Both typological universals and Universal Grammar contribute to our understanding of language
universals by employing different methodologies and perspectives. While typological universals focus
on cross-linguistic comparisons, Universal Grammar emphasizes the analysis of individual languages
to uncover innate linguistic principles and structures.

Language universals and SLA :

One of the goals of SLA is to explain L2 learner’s linguistic competence and its development.
Linguistic approches attempts to explain the mental grammars, interlanguage systems, by showing
that the interlanguage are exposed to constraints on learnability. One the possible sources of such
constrainsts linguistic typology. One major question regarding the nature of second language system
is the extent to which interlanguage could be considered natural language. The study of language
universals show inshight into what can be expeted yo affect the development of second language
grammar.

- It affects the shape of learners grammar.

- The acquisition order : more marked forms would be the last to be acquired or in the case of
implicational universals on could expect fewer errors in less marker forms.