LAD provides children with innate knowledge of linguistic universals like word order and word classes. It also provides general learning procedures for discovering the specific rules of the language being learned. Evidence for this innatist view includes the critical period hypothesis, which argues language must be learned during a specific time period early in life. Different theories explain different aspects of first language acquisition, with behaviorism relevant to vocabulary, innatism to grammar, and cognitivism to relating form and meaning.

22. LAD provides
children with a
knowledge of
linguistic
universals
such as the
existence
of word order and
word classes.
LAD provides
children with a
knowledge of
linguistic
universals
such as the
existence
of word order and
word classes.
LAD provides
children
only general
procedures for
discovering
language
to be learned.
LAD provides
children
only general
procedures for
discovering
language
to be learned.

27. Noam Chomsky on Universal Grammar and the genetics of
language with captioning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbKO-9n5qmc

29. Evidence used to support Chomsky’s innatist position:

30. Evidence used to support Chomsky’s innatist position:

31. Evidence used to support Chomsky’s innatist position:
• The biological basis for the innatist position:The Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH) –Lenneberg:
There is a specific and limited time period (i.e.,
“critical period”) for the LAD to work
successfully.
Only when it is stimulated
at the right time

32. The
biological
basis for the
innatist
position:

34. 34

35. • Learning is a personal construction of
knowledge to be learned based on the
learner’s previous experience.
Learner’s experience
Knowledge to be learned
Learner’s
personal
construction

36. Receiving
Informatio
n
Processing
information
Constructing
new
meanings
Input
(listening,
reading)
Decoding
Relating what
learners already know
with the received
information
(Listening/reading)
comprehension
output

37. 37

42. 42

43. 43
Each of the three theoretical approaches explains a
different aspect of first language acquisition.
1. Behaviorists: SKINNER (learning through imitation,
practice, reinforcement, habit-formation) – the acquisition of
vocabulary and grammatical morphemes.
2. Innatists: CHOMSKY (LAD/UG/) – the acquisition of
complex grammar (structure of the language).
3. Cognitivists/ Interactionists: Piaget & Vygotsky (social
interaction) – the acquisition of how form and meaning are
related, how communicative functions are carried out, and
how language is used appropriately.