On Explaining Language

Lenneberg, Eric H.

doi:10.1126/science.164.3880.635

Cited by 151 publications

(79 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…He states that the unfolding of language in a child is process of realization, that is, of transforming the latent structure into a realized one, and explains language acquisition in terms of maturation. Lenneberg (1969), points out that meager and degenerate data does not interfere with language acquisition, suggesting that acquisition of a language is suffi ciently possible under these inconvenient conditions, but this is only because innate mechanisms for language acquisi-tion are operating. McNeill (1966McNeill ( , 1968McNeill ( , 1970 attributes the determinants of grammar and language acquisition to the internal structure of LAD, part of which can be described by the theory of grammar proposed by Chomsky (1965).…”

Section: Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis Of Experience In Acquimentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Experience in Acquisition of a Miniature Artificial Language

Nagata

1976

Jpn. Psychol. Res

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so examine the quantity and quality of experience required to acquire a phrase structure grammar, the numbers of exemplars and reference conditions were controlled, using a miniature artificial language. The results showed that (a) under Semantic Referent Conditions a constant amount of experience was necessary for syntax acquisition; (b) semantic referents facilitated the overall acquisition of the syntax; but (c) even under Non-Semantic Referent Conditions some Ss could acquire the syntax. These results were interpreted as to suggest that a constant amount of experience based on position learning together with the mediation of semantic referents was required for syntax acquisition, and the LAD hypothesis proposed by Chomsky and others was discussed from an empirical point of view of language acquisition.

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Section: Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis Of Experience In Acquimentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Experience in Acquisition of a Miniature Artificial Language

Nagata

1976

Jpn. Psychol. Res

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“…There have been a number of theoretical accounts concerning the development of language in children, ranging from those by Lenneberg (1969) and McNeil (1966), which emphasize the innate and biological factors important for language development, to those of Sherman (1971) and Staats (1968), which emphasize the possible role of imitation and environmental consequences of language. One area of agreement in these accounts is the prevalence and importance of the development of generative language.…”

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confidence: 99%

Producing Generative Sentence Usage by Imitation and Reinforcement Procedures1

Lutzker

Sherman

1974

J of App Behav Analysis

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Three retarded subjects and two developmentally normal toddlers were trained using imitation and reinforcement procedures to use correct sentences. The experimental task was to use sentences with correct subject‐verb agreement to describe pictures that were presented to the subjects. Two classes of sentences were taught: those involving a plural subject that required the use of the verb “are” (for example, “the boys are running”) and those involving a singular subject that required the use of the verb “is” (for example, “the boy is running”). The basic design of the study involved multiple baselines for each class of sentences. Four of the subjects began to produce novel, untrained sentences of a particular type to generalization probe pictures when that particular class of sentence was currently being trained. Thus, the imitation and reinforcement procedures appeared to be functional in producing generative sentence usage for both types of sentences. One subject produced correct sentences to both singular and plural probe pictures when only “is” sentences had been taught. A reversal procedure and retraining phase indicated that for this subject, imitation and reinforcement procedures for training one class of sentence behavior seemed functional in producing generative responses of the other class of sentences.

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“…If exposure to a language is after puberty, language would not be fully acquired ( Johnson & Newport, 1989, 1991Lenneberg, 1969).However, it is debated on the strong view that argues that after CPH ends no acquisition takes place. The critics say that there are individuals who could be able acquire a language after puberty (Hakuta, Bialystok, & Wiley, 2003).…”

Section: Language Acquisitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The first factor is physiological. As language input is received, brain adaptation including elasticity and lateralization takes place which in turn facilitates the language acquisition process (Curtiss, 1985;Lenneberg, 1969; Tzourio-Mazoyer et al, 2010). Some language acquisition experts have correlatedphysical changes with age factor and proposed what is now called critical period hypothesis (CPH).…”

Section: Language Acquisitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling A Here-And-Now Approach In Building Linguistic Capital

Kobepa¹

2016

KSS

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Research findings in language acquisition and language and education show that there is a close link between cognition and academic language development. Children who have acquired and or learned academic language in their first language, they are likely to benefit cognitively more in their education than those who have not. As a consequence, the latter group may be the risk of becoming cognitively stagnant in their future education. These researchers advocate that the use of first language as an instructional language is not only educationally compulsory but also is a part of their rights. To them, teaching in children's first language is a way of building what is in this paper called linguistic capital. However, the question of how this formation has to be executed and related issues including but not restricted to what appropriate resources would be needed to enable the formation to happen still remain to be seen. This paper therefore has a two-fold aim. Firstly, this paper intends to provide a theoretical apparatus for building linguistic capital. Secondly, it also aims to present some possible resources for building linguistic capital. As a preliminary work, this paper is then expected to be an invitation for further discussions and or debates on the issue.

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On Explaining Language

Cited by 151 publications

References 5 publications

Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Experience in Acquisition of a Miniature Artificial Language

Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Experience in Acquisition of a Miniature Artificial Language

Producing Generative Sentence Usage by Imitation and Reinforcement Procedures1

Modelling A Here-And-Now Approach In Building Linguistic Capital

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