Based on Chomsky’s biological perspective, human beings are born with a unique language organ. This specific language organ contains both the deep structures embedded into the human brain and the surface structures which can be applied in daily conservations. According to this concept, some people may argue with Chomsky’s theory about how the environment plays a role in language acquisition if children are in-born has language capacity. Before I address this concept, we discuss motor development. Children are born with motor organs, such as legs and hands, but they cannot walk and hold things when they are born. These motor capacities need to be developed as they grow and then those skills are enhanced through repeated practice in the environment. I personal believe that language acquisition is interrelated to the language organ, but to be able to express language, children need to interact in their environment to develop the growth of the language organ. In other words, to be able to operate and function, human beings still need to have a social environment and self-exploration skills that are conducive to stimulating language acquisition and to enhancing the development of the inborn rules of deep structures in the externally surface structures, language usages, and language entries. Language acquisition is a long process that combines and integrates the biological mechanism and recurrent exploration attributed to both internal motives and the environment. Biology or the nativist theory should not be separated from social interaction and the constructivist models. After all, a blade can have two edges and a coin always has two sides; therefore, a good approach of exploring language acquisition should not be divided by either a biological perspective or a social interaction perspective. I believe Chomsky’s theory can be very beneficial for a student from the human development field if that student is able to understand the fundamental ideas of his theory. His theory has influenced current development trends, particularly in the language development area.
Ruby Yeh
The Coin picture was retrieved on November 13, 2011, from The Department of Treasury Seal.
http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/$1coin/?action=reverse
From the language development perspective, Chomsky's nature and other nurture framework can be blended. Bruner's spiral curriculum, for example, can be linked up to Chomsky's deep and surface structure very well in language teaching and learning.
ReplyDeleteThe coin analogy, acts as a great explanation to Chomsky's theory. Chomsky has been one of theorists that I have struggled with the most and partly because I always read him as paying closer attention to the deep structures attributed to a biological perspective. The coin analogy, however demonstrates the attention he gave to both the deep and surface structures. The two, as you described, cannot be separated as both contribute to the composition and eventual language acquisition of the child. Very interesting to think about Chomsky's theory in this way.
ReplyDelete-Tahani
Dear Tahani,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. When we wrote this blog, we were thinking how the blog and Wiki can help ourselves and others to understand Chomsky’s theory. His theory is not quite easy to understand for us since we did not have some linguistic background. He utilized a lot of terminology that we were not used to hear that in our field. We stand on the Giant Shoulder to see the new point of view. He really gave us a different perspective to look at language development and acquisition.
Ruby
Dear Mr. Samermit,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree your idea that Chomsky’s theory could be blended with other theories like Bruner’s and Vygotsky’s together. These theories utilized different perspectives to address what they focus on, but it does not mean they need to be segregated or be divided one or the other. In contrast, these different theories gave a better compressive whole picture on how children acquire their language and how we can assist children to advance their language development.
The acquisition of language is a process of selection the best grammar compatible with the available data. Data that child learn during their development in their first language. The child born with abilities that they will use in order to learn their home language.
ReplyDeleteThe two sides of the coin analogy immediately made me think about the acquisition of two languages. Second language learning is a very complex process especially for young children. The brain has to acquire two different language systems (rules) simultaneously. Many have argued that this can delay the language development process. Others have suggested that there is an "ideal window" for second language learning. As a bilingual person I can help to wonder, how does the LAD changes or modifies when the child is raised in a bilingual household?
ReplyDeleteWhen I read this blog and the reference to two sides of a coin I also wondered about second language learning. I could see a child who is born into a dual language family having more than one LAD that Chomsky references to since they have been exposed to and are learning both languages. The child then has to figure out the unique social and grammatical rules for each specific language. Perhaps the process of deciphering the two languages could become confusing if the languages are intermixed within a sentence or conversation. Since I know a little Spanish I think of the grammatical and social differences between Spanish and English. First, the social influence on languages and how words in Spanish are modified based on who the speaker and audience is. The numerous rules that apply to speaking Spanish in these social situations are not present when speaking English. Thus, I believe that a child has to have some type of “system” and method of understanding the differences.
ReplyDeleteI wonder though does the LAD also apply when a child learns to speak one way at home but another way at school- but the two languages are the same? If we think back to the video we watched in class that discussed both dialects and “socially appropriate” words based on ones geographic location and ethnicity I realize just how much social context does play a difference in language acquisition and use.
**On a side note- please keep the various references you have for Chomsky available until the end of class. I want to add this information to my personal references for future use. Thanks!
I agree with all of you that Chomsky's theory on language development can flow and be incorporated into a variety of other child development theories. xiocruz you bring up a good point about dual language. It is very interesting that the various ways in which a teacher approaches dual language can change how children adapt and incorporate both languages.
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