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Universal Grammar

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Argument from the Diversity of Languages

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UG provides a framework to understand how diverse languages can be acquired using the same innate cognitive structure. Example: Despite the vast differences between Mandarin and Swahili, speakers of each can learn the other’s language, implying a shared underlying capacity.

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The Status of Grammar in UG

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In UG, grammar is seen not as a set of prescriptive rules but as an innate and descriptive system. Example: The understanding that sentences like 'Colorless green ideas sleep furiously' are grammatically correct but semantically nonsensical.

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Universal Grammar Definition

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Universal Grammar (UG) is a theory in linguistics, proposing that the ability to learn grammar is hard-wired into the brain. Example: Noam Chomsky's hypothesis that children innately possess a grammatical framework upon which all human language builds.

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Language Acquisition Device (LAD)

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The Language Acquisition Device is a hypothetical module of the human mind posited to facilitate language acquisition. Example: The ease with which children pick up languages as compared to adults, which is attributed to the LAD function.

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Origins of UG Theory

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UG theory originated as part of Noam Chomsky's generative grammar framework, which aimed to describe the cognitive structures underlying language use. Example: Chomsky's theory differed from behaviorist theories that emphasized learning from the environment.

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Genetic Basis of UG

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UG might have a genetic basis, as the ability to learn language is consistently present across all human cultures. Example: Studies on twins suggest a heritable component to language acquisition and the mechanisms associated with UG.

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Parameters and Principles

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Universal Grammar is believed to consist of a set of principles that apply to all languages and parameters that vary among languages. Example: Noun-phrases following verbs is a principle, while subject-verb-object order versus subject-object-verb order is a parameter.

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Role of Syntax in UG

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Syntax within UG is the set of rules and principles for sentence structure inherent to the human brain. Example: All human languages having a recursive nature that allows an infinite number of sentences.

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UG and Language Variation

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UG accounts for language variation by combining universal principles with parameters that vary among languages. Example: Different word orders across languages are understood thanks to the parameter setting.

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Learnability and UG

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UG addresses the learnability issue, explaining how children can acquire complex language systems efficiently. Example: Children’s rapid acquisition of language with limited exposure and instruction.

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Poverty of the Stimulus Argument

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This argument suggests that children cannot acquire a language through environmental stimuli alone, as they are exposed to a limited set of inputs. Example: Children achieving a full grasp of language despite often hearing incomplete or grammatically incorrect sentences.

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Neurological Evidence for UG

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Studies have found brain regions specifically active in language processing, supporting the UG idea of innate language abilities. Example: The Broca's and Wernicke's areas showing activity related to language tasks.

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Universal Grammar and Bilingualism

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UG may explain how individuals can acquire multiple languages, suggesting that the same innate principles apply to all languages learned. Example: A child learning two languages from birth without confusion, pointing to a common underlying grammar.

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Language Aptitude and UG

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Language aptitude may be partially explained by individual variations in accessing or utilizing innate UG principles. Example: Some people picking up new languages with remarkable ease could be due to better utilization of UG capacities.

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Critical Period Hypothesis

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The Critical Period Hypothesis suggests there is a window during early development when the brain is especially receptive to language acquisition. Example: Difficulty in language learning experienced by individuals beyond the critical period, such as adults learning a second language.

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Innateness Hypothesis

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The Innateness Hypothesis suggests that linguistic structures are built into the human mind and are not learned through experience. Example: The apparent ease with which infants perceive phonetic distinctions used in all languages.

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Chomsky's Transformational Grammar

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Transformational Grammar is Chomsky's theory involving deep and surface structures in sentences, with innate rules used for transforming deep into surface structures. Example: The question 'What are you eating?' derives from 'You are eating what.'

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Recursion in Universal Grammar

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Recursion refers to the ability to build an unlimited number of sentences by embedding clauses within each other. Example: 'The cat the dog chased was black' demonstrates clause embedding.

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The Modularity Hypothesis and UG

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The Modularity Hypothesis proposes that the brain has specialized modules for different functions, including language, which underpins UG. Example: Language disorders, like aphasia, which don't affect other cognitive functions, suggest language modularity.

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Continuity Hypothesis

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The Continuity Hypothesis suggests that the language abilities of adults and children are fundamentally the same, with UG continuing to operate post-critical period. Example: Adults still have the ability to acquire new grammar, albeit less efficiently than children.

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