Chomsky- Language Acquisiton Device

Question 1

What is the LAD?

Answer 1

Chomksy proposed the LAD as the hypothetical part of the mind that allows infants to acquire and produce language.

Question 2

Chomsky suggested that humans:

Answer 2

Are born with structure in their brain that enables them to acquire language

Have a critical period for first language development in the first years of life

All follow the same pattern of language development

Have an innate understanding of the structure of language (universal grammar), that is the basis for all languages (subject, verb object)

Question 3

Chomsky’s theory is based on the nativist theory which suggested:

Answer 3

Individuals are pre-programmed to develop in a certain way.

Question 4

LAD example:

Answer 4

An adults speech is often broken up, and they use slang or jargon and ungrammatical sentence construction.

Chomsky believes that babies need to experience other people using lanagauge but that they do not need to be trained in order to do it

Question 5

Advantages of chomsky

Answer 5

What the model says can be proven in everyday life, if you are around young children. For example: you children calling a group of geese “gooses”

What Chomsky tries to prove in the model, can be backed up with examples. Everything he states can be backed up with examples

Question 6

Disadvantages of Chomsky

Answer 6

Lacks scientific evidence of innate understanding of structure of language.

The rate of language development is affected by the amount of interactions with others.
children who do not hear speech, do not develop language (proved in the Romanian orphanages).

Does not take into account that a language acquisition support system is required

Chomsky puts emphasis on grammar in sentence development rather than meanings.