Mushtaque Ali Assignment:

Assignment no 3: language learning theories

Noam Chomsky’s Universal Grammar Theory.

During the primary half the 20th century, linguists who theorized about the human ability to
talk did so from the behaviorist perspective that prevailed at that point. They therefore held
that acquisition, like several other quite learning, may be explained by a succession of trials,
errors, and rewards for fulfillment. In other words, children learned their maternal language
by simple imitation, taking note of and repeating what adults said.
This view became radically questioned, however, by the American linguist Chomsky. For
Chomsky, acquiring language can't be reduced to easily developing a list of responses to
stimuli, because every sentence that anyone produces may be a completely new combination
of words. After we speak, we combine a finite number of elements the words of our language
to form an infinite number of larger structures sentences. Moreover, language is governed
by an outsized number of rules and principles, particularly those of syntax, which determine
the order of words in sentences. The term “generative grammar “refers to the set of rules
that allows us to know sentences but of which we are usually totally unaware. it's thanks to
generative grammar that everybody says “that’s how you say it” instead of “how that’s you it
say”, or that the words “Bob “and “him” cannot mean the identical person within the sentence
“Bob loves him.” but can do so in “Bob knows that his father loves him.” Note en passant that
generative grammar has nothing to try to with grammar textbooks, whose purpose is just to
clarify what's grammatically correct and incorrect in a very given language. Even before the
age of 5, children can, without having had any formal instruction, consistently produce and
interpret sentences that they need never encountered before. It’s this extraordinary ability
to use language despite having had only very partial exposure to the allowable syntactic
variants that led Chomsky to formulate his “poverty of the stimulus” argument, which was
the muse for the new approach that he proposed within the early 1960s. In Chomsky’s view,
the rationale that children so easily master the complex operations of language is that they
need innate knowledge of certain principles that guide them in developing the grammar of
their language. In other words, Chomsky’s theory is that acquisition is facilitated by a
predisposition that our brains have sure structures of language.
Universal grammar.
Universal grammar, then, consists of a set of unconscious constraints that let us decide
whether a sentence is correctly formed. This mental grammar isn't necessarily the identical
for all languages. But per Chomskyian theorists, the strategy by which, in any given language,
certain sentences are perceived as correct while others aren't, is universal and independent
of meaning.
Thus, from birth, children would seem to possess certain linguistic abilities that predispose
them not only to amass a posh language, but even to form one from whole cloth if matters
requires. One example of such a situation dates back to the time of plantations and slavery.
On many plantations, the slaves came from many alternative places then had different
mother tongues. They therefore developed what are referred to as pidgin languages to speak
with each other. Pidgin languages don't seem to be languages within the true sense, because
they employ words so chaotically there's tremendous variation in ordination, and extremely
little grammar. But these slaves’ children, though exposed to those pidgins at the age when
children normally acquire their mother tongue, weren't content to merely imitate them.
Instead, the youngsters spontaneously introduced grammatical complexity into their speech,
thus within the space of 1 generation creating new languages, referred to as creoles.
Nativist theory by Noam Chomsky.
Chomsky purposed that all human have a language acquisition device (LAD)
According to this theory human are preprogrammed with innate ability to develop language.
We are born with a set of rules about language in our head which he refers to as the universal
grammar. Critical period between the age of 2-7 years suggest that language learning, like
walking is an capacity of human being trigged by a level of develop more than feedback from
the environment, knowledge of grammatical rules common to all language and rules allows
children to understand the rules of whatever language they are listening too. Acquisition is
a congenital process, children learn language by application language is rule based, language
acquisition is the result of nature, stresses on internal thought process, knowledge exists
inside individual, learning is determined by the individual, learning require no formal
assistance. Nativist theories of language acquisition hold that children learn through their
natural ability to organize the laws of language, but cannot fully utilize this talent without
the presence of other humans. This does not mean, however, that the child requires formal
teaching of any sort. Chomsky claims that children are born with a hard-wired language
acquisition device (LAD) in their brains. They are born with the major principles of language
in place, but with many parameters to set (such as whether sentences in the language(s)
they are to acquire must have explicit subjects). According to nativist theory, when the young
child is exposed to a language, their LAD makes it possible for them to set the parameters
and deduce the grammatical principles, because the principles are innate.
The interactionist theory by Lev Vygotsky. .Lev
Vygotsky said that language development is both biological and social, language learning is
influenced by the desire of children to communicate with other and children are born with a
powerful brain that mature slowly and help to acquire new understanding that they are
motived to share with other.
Language emerges and is dependent upon social interaction, environment you grow up in
the will heavily effect how well and how quickly you learn to talk. Even if we expand our
vocabularies, we remember the word, we use the most daily basics. From birth, children are
surrounded by others who talk to them or with them. This communication plays a part in
how the baby learns to speak his or her native language. Some argue that “nature” is entirely
responsible for how a baby learns a language, while others argue that “nurture” is
responsible for how a baby picks up his or her mother tongue. The idea behind interactionist
theory is that the way a baby learns a language is both biological and social. Everyone loves
to at babies, and this “baby talk” is exposing the child to language, whether we realize it or
not. Interactionist believe that children are born with brains that predispose them to the
ability to pick up languages as well as with a desire to communicate. Some Interactionist
even argue that babies and children cue their parents and other adults into giving them the
linguistic exposure they need to learn a language. The Interactionist Theory posits that
children can only learn language from someone who wants to communicate with them
Behaviorism theory by B.F skinner. Contribution
by B.F Skinner, Ivan Pavlov, Albert Bandra, Edward lee Thorndike. An American
psychologist B.F skinner develop that most clearly articulated description of what is called
behavioristic language theory in his book verbal behavior published in 1957 the basics
learning process he identified was first outlined by Pavlov, a great deal of language learning
and teaching in in the 1950 and 1960 was influenced by the tenet of behaviorism, B.F skinner
and his colleagues, a group of psychologist know as behavioristic said that learning or a
change of behavior on a part of learner was bought about by process known as operant
conditioning these terms certainly seem rather difficult and forbidding actually the describe
a simple and obvious learning, skinner called this process operant conditioning, conditioning
behavior is behavior which is the result of repeated training, operant means that is voluntary
behavior it is result of the learner own free will and is not forced by any outside person or
thing the learner operator demonstrates the new behavior and finally as an automatic
response skinner conducted his original experiments with animals let us look at one of his
classics experiment. .In a typical
experiment a rat in put in box containing a bar if it presses the bar it is rewarded with the
pallet food, nothing forces it to press the bar the first time it probably does so accidently,
when the rat find the food arrives it find that it is hungry it can obtain food by pressing bar
then the talk us made while is light flashing, at first the task is made more difficult gain this
also and so on and son this then is skinner method. Acquisition is outcomes of condition,
children learn language by imitation, language learning is practice based, language
acquisition is result of nature, stresses on observable behavior, knowledge exists of
individual, and learning requires formal guidance.
The learner receive a stimulus (the bar).
The learner makes a correct response (rat pressing bar)
The learner get reinforcement of that response (rat is rewarded with food)
the learner repeats his response to the stimulus many times (rat presses the Bar again and
again) the learner’s response is always reinforced (the rat get gets more again)
The learner adopt the new behavior rat presses the bar whenever it is hungry operant
conditioning thus, stimulus then Response then reinforcement then new behavior or change
behavior.
Cognitive theory by jean Piaget.
Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development suggests that children move through four
different stages of mental development. His theory focuses not only on understanding how
children acquire knowledge, but also on understanding the nature of intelligence. 1Piaget’s
stages are:
1. Sensorimotor stage: birth to 2 years.
2. Preoperational stage: ages 2 to 7. 3.
Concrete operational stage: ages 7 to 11. 4.
Formal operational stage: ages 12 and up. Piaget
believed that children take an active role in the learning process, acting much like little
scientists as they perform experiments, make observations, and learn about the world. As
kids interact with the world around them, they continually add new knowledge, build upon
existing knowledge, and adapt previously held ideas to accommodate new information.
Piaget was born in Switzerland in the late 1800s and was a precocious student, publishing
his first scientific paper when he was just 11 years old. His early exposure to the intellectual
development of children came when he worked as an assistant to Alfred Binet and Theodore
Simon as they worked to standardize their famous IQ test. Much of Piaget's interest in the
cognitive development of children was inspired by his observations of his own nephew and
daughter. These observations reinforced his budding hypothesis that children's minds were
not merely smaller versions of adult minds.

1. The sensorimotor stage

Ages; Birth to 2 years.
Major characteristics and development changes.
The infant knows the world through their movement and sensation.
Children learn about the word through basic action such sucking grasping looking and
listening.
Infant learn that things continue to exist even though they cannot be seen object
performance.
They are separate bring form the people and object around them.
They realize that their action can cause things to happen in the world around them

2. The Preoperational Stage.

Ages: 2 to 7 Years.
Major Characteristics and Developmental Changes:
Children begin to think symbolically and learn to use words and pictures to represent
objects.
Children at this stage tend to be egocentric and struggle to see things from the perspective
of others.
While they are getting better with language and thinking, they still tend to think about
Things in very concrete terms.

3. The concrete operational stage.

Ages 7 to 11 years.
Major characteristic and developmental changes.
During this stage children begin to thinking logically about concrete events.
They begin to understand the concept of conservation that the amount of liquid in short
wide cup is equal to that in an all skinny glass for example.
Their thinking becomes more logical and organized but still very concrete.
Children begin using inductive logic or reasoning form specific information to a general
principle

4. The formal operational stage.

Ages: 12 and Up.
Major Characteristics and Developmental Changes:
At this stage, the adolescent or young adult begins to think abstractly and reason about
hypothetical problems
Abstract thought emerges Teens begin to think more about moral, philosophical, ethical,
social, and political issues that require theoretical and abstract reasoning
Begin to use deductive logic, or reasoning from a general principle to specific information
Mushtaque Ali Assignment;

Assignment no: 2 Topic: Contributions of Noam Chomsky.

What is Noam Chomsky best known for?

Noam Chomsky, or Avram Chomsky to gives him his full name, could be a famed American
linguist, philosopher, man of science, historian, social critic, and political activist. He’s often
observed because the "Father of modern linguistics". Chomsky is additionally well
respected as a significant analytical philosopher and is one amongst the founders of the
sector of science. Scientific discipline is that the study of the mind and what it does,
including many scientific disciplines that touch on the topic. This field of science studies the
mind's structure and encompasses various fields of study including: -
Education, the study of how people learn.
Philosophy, the study of data, reality, and existence. AI, the study of thinking machines and
systems.

Psychology, the study of behavior and therefore the mind.

Neuroscience, the study of the system.
Linguistics, the study of language.
Anthropology, the overall study of human society and culture.
This field of study attempts to grasp the complexity of the human mind through a more
general, overlapping approach.
Chomsky currently holds various Institute Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) us important positions as Institute Professor Emeritus at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and as a laureate professor at the University
of Arizona. He has also penned run out 100 books covering various topics including, but not
limited to: -
Linguistics, War, Politics, and Mass media.

Ideologically, Chomsky self-identifies as an anarcho-syndicalist and a libertarian socialist a

contradiction in terms we’ll allow you to decide.
Noam Chomsky, or Avram Noam Chomsky to give him his full name, is a famed
American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political
activist. He is often referred to as the "Father of modern linguistics".
Chomsky is also well respected as a major analytical philosopher and is one of the founders
of the field of cognitive science.
Cognitive science is the study of the mind and what it does, including many scientific
disciplines that touch on the subject.
This field of science studies the mind's structure and encompasses various fields of study
including: -
Education, the study of how people learn.
Philosophy, the study of knowledge, reality, and existence.
Artificial intelligence, the study of thinking machines and systems.
Psychology, the study of behavior and the mind.
Neuroscience, the study of the nervous system.
Linguistics, the study of language.
Anthropology, the general study of human society and culture.

This field of study attempts to understand the complexity of the human mind through a
more general, overlapping approach.
Chomsky currently holds various Institute Professor Emeritus at
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) us important positions as Institute
Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and as
a laureate professor at the University of Arizona. He has also penned well over 100 books
covering various topics including, but not limited to: -
Linguistics, War, Politics, and Mass media

Ideologically, Chomsky self-identifies as an anarcho-syndicalist and a libertarian

socialist a contradiction in terms we’ll let you decide.

What was Noam Chomsky's theory?

Far Chomsky's greatest contribution to the world is his theory of linguistics. This theory lies within
the larger field of bio linguistics, which is a linguistic school that holds that the principles
underpinning the structure of language are biologically present in the human mind and hence
genetically inherited.

 Chomsky argues, therefore, that all human languages share a common underlying
linguistic structure irrespective of their socio-cultural differences. In this sense, it is
a rejection of the concept of the human mind being a "blank slate" at birth by the
likes of other great philosophers like John Locke.

 It is also a rejection (on the subject of linguistics) of the work of B .F. Skinner who
proposed that behavior in humans was a completely learned product form an
organism's interactions with the world and other organisms.

 "His theory asserts that languages are innate and that the differences we see are
only due to parameters developed over time in our brains, helping to explain why
children are able to learn different languages more easily than adults. One of his
most famous contributions to linguistics is what his contemporaries have called the
Chomsky Hierarchy, a division of grammar into groups, moving up or down in their
expressive abilities.

 These ideas have had huge ramifications in fields such as modern psychology and
philosophy, both answering and raising questions about human nature and how we
process information."

 Chomsky also proposes that language is a uniquely human ability and leaps and
bounds ahead of other forms of communication exhibited by animals in the animal
kingdom.

 Needless to say, Chomsky's work is not without its fair criticisms and challenges.