Chomskys model of language acquisition

Language is programmed

Chomsky believed the ability to develop a signed or spoken language is programmed into individuals

Everyone is born with a language acquisition device

Chomsky believes this let’s children recognise and develop the languages they experience

children are programmed to aquire language and it evolves naturally

Chomsky believes a child couldn’t learn a new language

Chomsky believes a child couldn’t learn a new language through imitation alone, since the grammar and language is highly irregular

Trained to in order to speak

Chomsky believes babies need to experience other people’s language but they don’t need to be trained in order to speak:

They need to be exposed to it in order to learn themselves

Adults and correct grammar

Chomsky believes that if adults use correct grammar around a child they will stick to what grammar they know and use plural rules for certain words e.g., deers

Criticisms to chomksys theory

Burner argues that social interactions are critical and have made more influence on children than chomsky suggested.

Criticisms to chomsky

Some argue that chomksy put too much emphasis on the grammar in sentences rather than how children construct meaning from their sentences.