LING 1010: Language and Mind - Evidence for Nativism

Nativism vs. Empiricism in Language Acquisition

Empiricism

• Core Idea: Knowledge, including language, is acquired through experience using general cognitive abilities.

• Predictions:

  • Language learning is just another form of human learning, not special.

  • Expect wide individual variation in language ability and acquisition similar to other skills.

  • Some individuals may not acquire language; acquisition speed and outcomes will vary greatly.

  • Language acquisition outcomes should correlate with general intelligence (IQ).

  • Experience/exposure to language is strictly necessary; no exposure means no language.

Nativism

• Core Idea: Emphasizes innate, domain-specific knowledge (e.g., Language Acquisition Device, Universal Grammar) for language acquisition, while acknowledging experience.

• Arguments & Evidence (against Empiricist predictions):

  • Universality: All human societies have language; nearly all children acquire at least one language without teaching.

  • Uniformity:

    • Ease: Any human child can acquire any human language in about five years; all languages are equally easy for children to learn.

    • Success: Children acquire grammars virtually indistinguishable from their language models.

  • Rapidity: Language is acquired much faster than other information of similar complexity (e.g., algebra, calculus).

  • Consistency of Stages: Children acquiring the same language pass through highly similar acquisitional stages.

  • Acquisition with Incomplete Data: Children can acquire language even when primary linguistic data is incomplete.

  • Lack of Correlation between Intelligence and Language:

    • Specific Language Impairment (SLI):

      • Description: Developmental disorder affecting language with no additional cognitive deficits.

      • Characteristics: Normal non-verbal IQ, normal socialization, but severe problems in specific language areas (e.g., delayed first words, articulation, simplified grammar, comprehension issues).

      • Implication: Normal intelligence is not sufficient for language acquisition.

    • Williams Syndrome:

      • Description: Developmental disorder causing broad cognitive deficits (e.g., average IQ 55, limited motor control) but leaves language intact.

      • Characteristics: Significant difficulties with visual-spatial tasks, but fluent, coherent, and grammatically correct language production.

      • Implication: General intelligence is not required for language acquisition.

Double Dissociation

• SLI and Williams Syndrome together establish a developmental double dissociation.

• Conclusion: General (non-verbal) intelligence is entirely independent of linguistic competence.

  • SLI: Cognition unaffected, Language affected.

  • Williams Syndrome: Cognition affected, Language unaffected.

• This strongly contradicts the Empiricist prediction that language ability correlates with general cognitive abilities.