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Assignment No. 2 Name: Wali Hussain Class: BS English Literature Assignment: Linguistics Semester: 2 Semester Teacher: Prof. Umer Azeem

1. Mentalism is an approach in linguistics that focuses on describing the mental processes underlying language use and acquisition. 2. Noam Chomsky's theory of mentalism proposes that humans possess an innate Language Acquisition Device that allows children to learn language even with minimal exposure or teaching. 3. Mentalism emphasizes that language learning is driven more by internal mental factors rather than external environmental factors, in contrast to behaviorist theories of language learning.

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1K views10 pages

Assignment No. 2 Name: Wali Hussain Class: BS English Literature Assignment: Linguistics Semester: 2 Semester Teacher: Prof. Umer Azeem

1. Mentalism is an approach in linguistics that focuses on describing the mental processes underlying language use and acquisition. 2. Noam Chomsky's theory of mentalism proposes that humans possess an innate Language Acquisition Device that allows children to learn language even with minimal exposure or teaching. 3. Mentalism emphasizes that language learning is driven more by internal mental factors rather than external environmental factors, in contrast to behaviorist theories of language learning.

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Wali Hussain
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Assignment No.

2
Name: Wali Hussain
Class : BS English Literature
Assignment : Linguistics
nd
Semester : 2 semester
Teacher : Prof. Umer Azeem
Mentalism
Defination:
In linguistics, mentalism is associated both
with generative linguistics and with more
modern approaches that go under the heading of
cognitive linguistics. ... Mentalist linguists try
to describe the mental patterns of language (or
the internalized grammars) that underlie
linguistic behavior
Mentalism is a general term for scientific
approaches to various phenomena that try to
study the properties of the human mind, rather
than just their directly observable
manifestations. In linguistics, mentalism is
associated both with generative linguistics and
with more modern approaches that go under
the heading of cognitive linguistics. Mentalist
linguists try to describe the mental patterns of
language (or the internalized grammars) that
underlie linguistic behavior.
Noam Chomsky's mentalism
Noam Chomsky believes that the human ability
for language acquisition and analysis is the
result of human evolution.  It is this innate
Language Acquisition Device that allows any
child to acquire any language, even with
minimal help and no formal teaching. Chomsky
refers to this language learning mechanism as
universal grammar. Universal grammar allows a
child to advance from the general rules of any
language to the specific rules of her native
language (Rowe). While Bloomfield would say
that language is acquired through the nurture
of parents, Chomsky would say that most
important in the process is that nature has
given every child the ability to learn languages
(Barsky). 

Chomsky highlights the importance of deep


structure, or what a speaker subconsciously
knows about the grammatical rules of his native
language. Chomsky's approach is often called
the Mentalist approach. This deals with how
the deep structure of an utterance becomes
the surface structure. This approach offers an
explanation for the infinite number of phrases
that can be expressed with a limited number of
words and grammatical rules. Mentalism also
explains productivity in a language. Whereas
Bloomfield believed that children learned
language by simply mimicking their parents,
mentalism offers an explanation for children
forming entirely new sentences that they have
never heard before (Rowe). 
External research in the field of biology has
offered evidence supporting Chomsky's idea of
an innate language acquisition device. Defects
in the FoxP2 gene causes issues with language
acquisition. This indicates that language
learning may indeed be stamped into the
human genome (Rowe). 
Mentalism and Language Learning

It is another theory in learning.Mentalists


believe that man is born with innate capacity for
acquiring language and we only need to start
it.Chomsky was one of the main figures who
presented his theory in 1957.He considered
Linguistics part of psychology .He glorifies the
role of mind .Chomskys basic claim is that the
grammars for human language are too complex
and abstract to be learned on the basis of the
type of experience to which children have
access(O,Grady etal.,1987:494).
Therefore,Chomsky argues that significant
components of the grammar must be inborn.He
thinks that what we call the mind can be best
described in terms a set of abstract structure
whose physical basis is as yet relatively
unknown. This power enables him learning a
language.Mind is just like a mirror that reflects
the average of learning.Competence is in the
mind of ideal speaker-hearer.Learning and
anything acquired is related to mind .This
process possessed by the individual and
developed in him as part of his maturation
(competence-performance).Competence is the
system of knowledge of language which can be
formed in the mind of a person and it can be
used to produce and develop gramatical
utterances.
Chomsky explained that the principles of
behaviorism didn’t explain what happens in
language learning because we can learn with
and without these principles.It is unknown ,but
we can check its results.
The Main Principles Of Mentalism

1-Language is universal concerning language


acquisition and language use .
2-Foreign language learning emphasized on the
internal factors which are unseen.They think
that each person has an innate capacity for using
and learning language.

3-Most of the principles of Behaviorism like


reinforcement, rewards,,repetition,etc are not
important because we can learn with and
without these principles and there is no role for
the external facts like environment and social
facts in language learning.

4-Even if we know a great deal about the


speaker ,we cannot expect when he will speak
or what he will speak
5-Mentalists think that the correct response or
the incorrect one does not mean that learning is
done.

6-They are related to the competence and to the


cognitive psychology.
Weakness of Mentalism
1-There is no role for the external factors in
language learning.In fact,there is a great deal of
these factors in language learning.

2-They emphasized on the innate capacity of


learners only and neglected the other fctors .

Conclusions
Behavior cannot be understood clearly if we had
one side of that behavior the mental or the
physical one,so, we find that speech is
understood because it was a mental and physical
reaction for human being as a behavior in his
communication with others .But if we look at a
man shaking his hand without any sound ,we
may guess that he is celebrating or dancing or
showing off or none of these things ,but if we
combined the mental with the physical ,the
whole behavior will be quite clear .Behavior of
each human being is influenced by his
capacity .This behavior either acquired or
learned and this is influnced by the inherited
attitude for reaction (understanding) and
production;therefore we find that our behavior is
difficult even if one is related to one family and
we may behave in different ways of the same
situation ,so he is influnced with the
biological ,cultural,social and individual facts
.In schools ,teachers try to develop the motor
and mental skills of learners and guide them for
better performance in school and community as
a whole.The ideal method in learning is to put
into consideration the principles of Behaviorism
and Mentalism in language learning.

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