...language universals as proposed by two scholars, Noam Chomsky and Joseph H. Greenberg. Both of these scholars bring in their different points of view concerning their understanding of language universals and they stipulate the rules underlying their proposals. In the last part of this term paper we try to show the relationship between language universals and language acquisition. Language universals are a pattern that occurs systematically across natural languages potentially true for all of them. For instance, all languages have verbs and nouns and they have phonological aspects such as consonants and vowels The research in this area of linguistics is nearly connected to the study of linguistic typology and also intends to portray generalizations across languages such as cognition and perception of the mind. Noam Chomsky His arguments on language universals were mainly on grammar. He proposed that if human beings are brought up under normal conditions, then they will always develop language with a certain property e.g. distinguishing function words from lexical words. As a result this property, it is considered to be a property of universal grammar in the most general sense. He argued that there are theoretical senses of the term universal grammars well. The most general would be that universal grammar is whatever properties of a normally developing human brain cause it to learn languages that conform to the universal grammar. Using the notion above, universal grammar would...
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...What is grammar?, a question that seems plain to answer until somebody asks it. Dictionaries usually say something like the rules in a language for changing the form of words and combining them into sentences(Oxford dictionary). This is seriously insufficient; grammar does many things besides sentence-building. The definition also says nothing about the reasons why we need such rules; as if one defined a train as a ‘large vehicle’, without mentioning its use for public transport ( Michael swan, 2008) . For linguists, grammar is a fixed set of words and rules of usage. They consider "good" grammar is synonymous with prestige forms of the language. Therefore, Eugene. J. Hill defines grammar as a description of certain organizing...
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...first European linguist to identify the human language as rule governed, rather than just words and phrases which have meaning. This notion highly influenced Noam Chomsky's work, who often quoted Humboldt's idea that language "makes infinite use of finite means", which means that any number of sentences can be created using a restricted number of rules. Ferdinand de Saussure (1857 to 1913) Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure is an incredibly well known man in linguistics as he is considered to be one of the most influential linguists of the 20th Century. His work, 'Cours de Linguistique Generale, mentioned in when is syntax studied, is one of his best known works, compiled after his death. Which is generally thought to be the start 'structural linguistics'. Viggo Brondal (1887-1942) Viggo Brondal, a Danish Philologist, alongsde Louis Hjemslev founded the Linguistic Circle of Copenhagen. Hjemslev also went on to found the journal 'Acta Linguistica' in 1939. Noam Chomsky born 1928 As noted, Chomsky has been responsible for countless syntax theories and influential work over the years. These include Universal Grammar, Transformational Grammar, Generative Grammar and many of its developments. His book 'Syntactic Structures', first published in 1957 is known to lay down the foundations for transformational grammar Roy Harris (born 1931) Roy Harris is currently the professor...
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...“What is language?” One way of thinking about the problem is to assume that language is like an orchestra. It is composed of many parts that intricately work together to provide a unified sound. Just as there are sections in the orchestra (the strings, the brass, the wing instruments, and the percussion), there are components of language in sounds, meanings, words, grammar, and rules for how one uses each of these parts in culturally appropriate ways (Salkind, 2002). Language is also one of the most complicated behaviors where we humans are engaging as a species. In 2002, Salkind states that children have spoken their first words, and grasps at least 50 words by the time they can walk. He also states that by the time children can run they can now use...
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...Pirahã and its Implications for Grammar When Linguist Dan Everett was sent to the Amazon Jungle to live with the Pirahã people, his mission was to learn their language and convert them to Christianity. What he left with, many years later, were theories about grammar and language he never thought he would discover. His views about language changed drastically, from agreeing with former colleague at Illinois State University, Noam Chomsky, to rejecting those views wholeheartedly. He spent years formulating new hypotheses based on his study of the Pirahã people, and is a big proponent of language being culture-based, that is to say that how people speak has a lot to do with their culture. While living in the Amazon, Everett changed in many ways including, not only beliefs and ideals about grammar and language, but also in beliefs and ideals of religion. To understand how Everett was affected by the Pirahãs, we must first understand where he came from and what he believed prior to meeting them. Everett was born in Southern California and said in an interview with Radio New Zealand’s Kathryn Ryan that he did not consider himself or his family religious. When he was in high school, however, he met a woman who would soon become his wife who was extremely religious to the point that she eventually converted him to Christianity. He became such a genuine believer that he would preach his beliefs on the streets and ultimately became an ordained minister. What he believed when...
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...emperor of India, desired to learn whether language was innate or acquired through exposure to the speech of adults. He believed that language was learned by people listening to each other and therefore a child could not develop language alone. So he ordered a house built for two infants and stationed a mute nurse to care for them. The children did not acquire speech, which seemed to prove Akbar's hypothesis that language is acquired and does not simply emerge spontaneously in the absence of exposure to speech. Henceforth, modern linguists have been trying hard to crack the codes which govern the acquisition and learning of a language. Theories ranging from Jean Piaget's Cognitive Theory(1929), Skinner's Behaviorist Theory (1957), to Chomsky's The Innateness Hypothesis,...
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...are through the course of their lives alone alone. • Students need to be taught their language. Naturists vs. Nurturists vs • Noam Chomsky oa C o s y • Stephen Krashen • Gardner • • • • Vygotsky ygots y Piaget Pavlov Skinner The Intelligence Quotient (IQ) • Test created in 1905 to predict which students would benefit from teaching. • Attempts to objectively measure “intelligence” intelligence • Scores are given as numbers that show the test taker’s results relative to others. • When adjusted for age, a person’s IQ generally does not vary greatly over the course of their life. • IQ tests can be given on various skills (linguistic, math, etc) Nurture Theories (Skinner) Behaviorism B h i i • Knowledge and Linguistic ability results from stimulus-response conditioning. • Focus is on controlling behavior not behavior, cognitive processes. •C Concerned only with d l ith observable/measurable behavior. Nurture Methods The Audio-lingual M th d Th A di li l Method • Based on Behaviorism – Positive reinforcement of desired production – Emphasis on “correctness” correctness – Seeks to create language habits – Repetition Nature Theories (Chomsky) Universall Grammar U i G • Humans are born with a Language Acquisition Device that allows us to understand languages in terms of universal principles. Nature Theories (Chomsky) Language A L Acquisition Device i iti D i • The LAD is said to have 4 aspects – The...
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...the goose to be hatched by her. > the other group was hatched in an incubator 3. He marked the goslings and then placed both groups under a box. Mother goose and "mother" lorenz stood aside as the box lifted. Each group of goslings went directly to its "mother." lorenz called this process imprinting. Imprinting…. * It is the rapid, innate learning that involves attachment to the first moving objects seen. Contributions of ethological theory 1. focus on the biological and evolutionary basis of development 2. the use of careful observations in naturalistic settings Criticisms 1. too much emphasis on biological foundations 2. a belief that the critical and sensitive period concepts might be too rigid. Noam Chomsky Noam Chomsky is perhaps the best known and the most influential linguist of the second half of the Twentieth Century. He has made a number of strong claims about language : in...
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...heories about how young children acquire and develop language Young children become amazingly proficient communicators during the first three years of life. As the Birth to Three Matters framework points out, they use 'the hundred languages of children' - body language (including facial expressions and dance); sign language (their own and family inventions as well as an officially recognised sign language); painting, drawing and mark-making; and oral expression. They have been acutely active listeners since their days in the womb, where they learned to recognise the speech patterns, tunes and tones of the languages used in their home contexts. Language theory research informs us that young children's language development is influenced by many factors, including having sensitive adults and older children around them who will listen and attend to their expressions and who will use and model appropriate language themselves. This has been called 'Motherese' by researchers led by Cathy Snow. Children's babbling during their first year includes the sounds of every world language and 'crib talk' demonstrates their intense interest in the sounds they hear around them. Although children with a hearing loss will stop babbling, if they grow up in a home with parents who can sign, they will follow the same patterns of development using their first language - signing - and will sign their first word at around the same age that hearing children speak theirs. Between two and three years...
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...INTRODUCTION Language is the expression of common shared concepts or culture, it provides us with the linguistic categories and terms to express and evaluate the world around us, describe our emotions and formulate our ideas. The extent of language's influence on our lives helps us in our live, relationships, and other activities. Language is not just a set of words and grammatical rules, but rather extends it to non-verbal communication and the concepts and shared ideas as expressed in a particular language. It is believed that language is among the signs of Allah’s wisdom. Allah has created men in different tribes and nations with different colors and language as Allah stated in Surat Al-Hujurat (49:13) “O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” The uniqueness of language has sparked the linguist to investigate the origin of language until present. Some researchers believe with the ideas that human acquired language naturally. Many ideas have come out to prove the origin of language. One of the famous theories that explained the origin of language is Divine Source Theory. Proponents of this theory believe that language came from a divine source. In general, this theory explained that human acquired language through a divine source or god as the first language because many...
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...Linguistics Introduction the scientific study of language. The word was first used in the middle of the 19th century to emphasize the difference between a newer approach to the study of language that was then developing and the more traditional approach of philology. The differences were and are largely matters of attitude, emphasis, and purpose. The philologist is concerned primarily with the historical development of languages as it is manifest in written texts and in the context of the associated literature and culture. The linguist, though he may be interested in written texts and in the development of languages through time, tends to give priority to spoken languages and to the problems of analyzing them as they operate at a given point in time. The field of linguistics may be divided in terms of three dichotomies: synchronic versus diachronic, theoretical versus applied, microlinguistics versus macrolinguistics. A synchronic description of a language describes the language as it is at a given time; a diachronic description is concerned with the historical development of the language and the structural changes that have taken place in it. The goal of theoretical linguistics is the construction of a general theory of the structure of language or of a general theoretical framework for the description of languages; the aim of applied linguistics is the application of the findings and techniques of the scientific study of language to practical tasks, especially to the elaboration...
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...Cavite Campus: Input for Enhancement Program In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements For the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management ABSTRACT English is considered as the universal language therefore it is commonly used as medium of instruction in school, home, and even in society. Being proficient in it is an edge in many aspects like in career, technology, society and even in travelling foreign countries. However,despite of the advantages of being proficient in it, still most of the students were not able to express themselves properly. For some reason, some students could not achieve this we called English Language Proficiency. This study aims to determine the English language proficiency of BSHM-HRM students of EARIST Cavite Campus, Academic Year 2014-2015. A total of fifty (50) selected BSHM-HRM students were taken as respondents of the study. The questionnaire was the data-gathering instrument used. CHAPTER 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND INTRODUCTION Hospitality Industry is one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the world. Hence, it involves dealing with different people from different countries. In order to communicate with them, English proficiency is being used. Considered as a universal language, it is no wonder that most of the universities worldwide include English as one of their major subjects. Hence, it is the first and foremost criterion whether one is applying for a job or seeking admission...
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...Does Bilingualism improve brain functioning? Although it is believed by many that it is impossible for children to master two different languages simultaneously, children who are bilingual are more effective learners because the children can benefit from bilingualism in their cognitive development and help to progress their mental health. This paper will examine Jean Paget’s and Lev Vygotsky’s Theories of Cognitive Development, and B.F. Skinner’s and Noam Chomsky’s Language Development Theories, describing relevant terminology, and addressing how the theory assists in the understanding of issues involved in the selected topic. Identify and describe at least two domains of human development (physical, biological emotional, cognitive, and/or social) and how they are impacted by the topic does bilingualism improve brain functioning. Identify and describe the stages of development that are affected by the topic does bilingualism improve brain functioning. Describe the cultural and historical perspectives of the chosen topic, demonstrating an understanding of how the topic has been perceived over time and by other cultures. Cognitive development is a comprehensive theory about the nature and development of human intelligence (wikipedia.com, 2014). When bilingualism is defined in the first way, as the characteristic of an individual who possesses two linguistic systems - we call it cognitive bilingualism (Hukuta and others, 1978). Bilingualism defined in the second...
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...Language Teaching Methodology Theodore S. Rodgers, Professor Emeritus, University of Hawaii Background Language teaching came into its own as a profession in the last century. Central to this phenomenon was the emergence of the concept of "methods" of language teaching. The method concept in language teaching—the notion of a systematic set of teaching practices based on a particular theory of language and language learning—is a powerful one, and the quest for better methods was a preoccupation of teachers and applied linguists throughout the 20th century. Howatt's (1984) overview documents the history of changes of practice in language teaching throughout history, bringing the chronology up through the Direct Method in the 20th century. One of the most lasting legacies of the Direct Method has been the notion of "method" itself. Language Teaching Methodology Defined Methodology in language teaching has been characterized in a variety of ways. A more or less classical formulation suggests that methodology is that which links theory and practice. Theory statements would include theories of what language is and how language is learned or, more specifically, theories of second language acquisition (SLA). Such theories are linked to various design features of language instruction. These design features might include stated objectives, syllabus specifications, types of activities, roles of teachers, learners, materials, and so forth. Design features in turn are linked...
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...A HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE COURSE GUIDE Professor Michael D.C. Drout WHEATON COLLEGE A History of the English Language Professor Michael D.C. Drout Wheaton College Recorded Books™ is a trademark of Recorded Books, LLC. All rights reserved. A History of the English Language Professor Michael D.C. Drout Executive Producer John J. Alexander Executive Editor Donna F. Carnahan RECORDING Producer - David Markowitz Director - Matthew Cavnar COURSE GUIDE Editor - James Gallagher Design - Ed White Lecture content ©2006 by Michael D.C. Drout Course guide ©2006 by Recorded Books, LLC 72006 by Recorded Books, LLC Cover image: © PhotoDisc #UT088 ISBN: 978-1-4281-1730-3 All beliefs and opinions expressed in this audio/video program and accompanying course guide are those of the author and not of Recorded Books, LLC, or its employees. Course Syllabus A History of the English Language About Your Professor...................................................................................................4 Introduction Lecture 1 ...............................................................................................................5 The Foundations of Language: Brain, Development, Acquisition ......................................................................6 Signs and Meanings: Semantics .........................................................13 Sounds of Language: Phonetics..........................................................20 Sound...
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