Workshop 1 The Innateness Hypothesis

The Innateness Hypothesis

File 9.3

The innateness hypothesis and Language & Theories of language acquisition

a) The Innateness Hypothesis:

·         The human being has the ability for to understand and speaking language this is innate.

B) Language:

·         Humans are genetically predisposed to learn and use language.

·         Concept of noun and verb are characterizes common to all language that is Linguistics Universal.

Universal Grammar: These are a set of characteristics shares by all language.

The biologist Eric Lenneberg says all humans have linguistics ability because it is innate them.

He had studied some animals and their behavior and characteristics, so he did a list about the concept “behaviorism”.

1.       The behavior emerges before it is necessary

2.       Its appearance is not the result of a conscious decision.

3.       Its emergence is not triggered by external events (though the surrounding environment must be sufficiently “rich “for it to develop----- quietly

4.       Direct teaching and intensive practice have been related little effect.

5.       There is regular sequence of “milestones” as the behavior develops, and these can usually be correlated with age and other aspect of development.

6.       There is likely to be a “critical period” for the acquisition of the behavior.

These points only consider the concept behaviorism but it is not totally owner in the human being.

What is Critical Period?

This is a period of time in an individual`s life during which a behavior. There are 2 types of periods.

0-2 years:  The Child needs to be exposure to language in order to develop the brain structures and they are necessary for acquisition and acquiring native speaker competence.

10-16 years: the child can obtain a language but he/she cannot acquire native competence.

The critical period claims that If a child doesn`t have these period he/she cannot development his/her language skills or acquire them.

There are at least two sources of information available to linguistics which support the claims that there a critical periods for acquisition language.



I. - Complete the following comparative table.

Mains Researchers	Lenneberg	Yule	Chomsky
Point of view	“species-specific” Behaviour Ability to distinguish speech sounds. Ability to organize linguistic data. Ability to engaging constant  evolution	Physically capable of sending and receiving sounds signal.	It is a biological schedule maduration of the brain as any other organ.

II. - Vocabulary

Complete with the correct meaning in the following words.

Isolation:       To be in a place or situation separate from others.

Innateness:   Belonging to the essential nature of something.

Sleep spindle:           Represent periods when the brain is inhibiting processing to keep the sleeper in a tranquil state.

III. - Complete the sentences.

1. - Genie explored her new    environment.

2. - Genie could not speak because she had all ready past her   critical period.

3. - With Genie case what   Chomsky    hold is refuse.