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Chomsky’s model of
Language acquisition
Noam Chomsky (1959) believed that the ability to develop a signed or spoken language is genetically
programmed into individuals
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Language acquisition (LAD): he stated that individuals are born with a ‘language acquisition device’
(LAD) that enables children to recognise and develop the languages they experience
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The ability to use language develops because
of maturation
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Chomsky believes that a child
could not possibly learn a new language through imitation alone because the grammar and syntax of
the language around them is often highly irregular e
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an adult’s speech is often broken up and they
use slag or jargon and ungrammatical sentence construction
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He noted that even if adults around a child use correct grammar or
even correct a child they will continue to apply plural ‘rules’ for instance ‘deer’ or ‘geeses’ if they
have reached that particular stage of language development
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Evidence to support his theory:
Children learning to speak never make grammatical errors such as getting their subjects, verbs and
objects in the wrong order
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Children often say things that are ungrammatical such as ‘mama ball’, which they
cannot have learnt passively
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Chomsky used the sentence ‘colourless green ideas sleep
furiously’, which is grammatical although it doesn’t make sense, to prove his theory: he said it shows
that sentences can be grammatical without having any meaning, that we can tell the difference
between a grammatical and an ungrammatical sentence without ever having heard the sentence
before, and that we can produce and understand brand new sentences that no one has ever said
before
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Social constructivists such
as Bruner would argue that social interaction particularly in the early stages of language
development, is critical and has far more influence on children than Chomsky suggested
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Chomsky did not take into consideration children who experience delayed language development
for a variety of a reason e
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children who have a learning disability or hearing or speech
impairments
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Scenarios he used for his theory:
Dialogue –
Parent and Child (3 years old)
Parent: What did you do today?
Child: Me drawed a cat
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(understands correction)
Parent: Who did you play with at breaktime?
Child: Me played with Sarah and Helen
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Now what do you want for tea?
Child: Dunno
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Child: You having fishes? (incorrect use of plural noun but shows child applying rules)
Parent: Yes
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(applying plural noun rule)
Child: Me want two sweeties
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Now go and watch Postman Pat while I start the tea
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