1. Language Development
Carolyn R. Fallahi, Ph. D.

2. Chomsky & Language Development
When do children understand their first words?
When do children say their first words?
Simple sentences?

3. Theories of Language Prior to 1950s: Behavioral theories B. F. Skinner
Idea: language is reinforced or punished
Problem: children are always creating things they have never heard before.
Children misapply the rules of language.

4. 1950: Chomsky Language is prewired in a baby’s brain.
There is a universal language that gets inherited through our DNA.
The language acquisition device (LAD)
Metaphor: a seed language gets inherited through the genes. Out of this seed language would blossom all past, present, and future languages of the world.

5. Support for Chomsky
Explanation for why humans are the only creatures with a capacity for language.

6. Criticism of Chomsky’s theory
Children do learn by rewards and punishment.
Is this only unique to humans? What about trained chimps, gorillas, etc.
Where is the LAD?