The-innatist-perspective

TheinnatistperspectiveNoamChomsky(1)biologicallyprogrammedforlanguage.Theinnatistperspective:Allhumanlanguagesarebasedonsomeinnateuniversalprinciples.(2)aspecificinnateabilitytheunderlyinglanguagesystemrulesbasedonthesamplesoftheexposednaturallanguage(3)theinnatemechanismusedexclusivelyforlanguageacquisition(4)successfullyacquirenativelanguageormorethanonelanguage(5)theabilitytousethepatternofthelanguageorlanguagesspokentothemprofoundlydeaf-signlanguagewithlimitedcognitiveability-complexlanguagesystmcaring,attentiveparentsVS.abusiveorrejectingpatentsabookbyLydiaWhite(1989)Englishsentencescontains'himself'TheCriticalPeriodHypothesis(CPH)•Animals,includinghumans,aregeneticallyprogrammedtoacquiredcertainkindsofknowledgeandskillatspecifictimesinlife.TwoofthemostfamouscasesVictorWildchildabout12yearsoldhavinghadnocontactwithhumans.Adoctordevotedfiveyearstotryingtoteachhimlanguage,buttherewaslittleprogress.Geniehadbeenisolatedfor13yearsAftershewasdiscovered,shewaseducatedfor5yearsGenie’slanguagewasnotlikethatofatypicalfive-yearold.VictorandGenieappeartoprovideevidenceinsupportoftheCPHbutitisdifficulttoarguethatthehypothesisisconfirmedonthisbasisevidencefromsuchunusualcases.ElisseNewportandhiscolleges:deafchildrenItsupportthehypothesisthatthereisacriticalperiodforfirstlanguageacquisition,whetherlanguageorgesture.NativesignersexposedtoASLfrombirthEarlysignersexposeddtoASLfrom4to6LatersignerslearnedASLafter12NodifferencebetweeninsomeaspectinusingASL.But，grammaticalmakersconsistency:nativegroupearlygrouplatergroupinternationaladopteeswhowereadoptedatanearlyagebythefamilywhodidnotspeakthelanguagethechildhadheardduringinfancythosechildwhohadalwaysheardthesamelanguageshowdifferenceafterseveralyearsVSlanguageacquisitionbeganatbirthbyexposuretothealnguageintheenvironment,theinnatistperspecticepartlybasedonevidencethattherearecriticalperiodinlanguageacquisition.