chomsky

• he believed that the ability to develop a signed/spoken language is genetically programmed into individuals.

  this means all individuals have the ability to understand & use language, regardless of other abilities, & to become fluent in their first language by the age of 5 or 6
• Language Acquisition Device (LAD):


  he states individuals are born with an LAD that enables children to recognise & develop the languages they experience. according to his theory, kids are 'preprogrammed' to acquire language & it evolves naturally in the same way that children have the ability to stand & walk.

  the ability to use language develops because of maturation - the unfolding of an individual's biological potential. he believes a child couldn't possibly learn a new language through imitation alone because the grammar & syntax of the language around them is often highly irregular
• criticisms of chomsky:

  • lack of scientific evidence to support his theory. bruner argued that social interaction, particularly in the early stages of language development, is critical & has far more influence on children than chomsky suggested
  • he put too much emphasis on the grammar in sentence structure rather than how children construct meaning from their sentences
  • he didn't take into consideration kids who experience delayed language development for a variety of reasons, e.g. kids with a learning disability, or hearing/speech impairments, or with down syndrome