Language Acquisition Device (LAD)
The Language Acquisition Device (LAD) is a theoretical construct proposed by linguist Noam Chomsky, suggesting that children are born with an innate ability to learn language. This concept posits that the LAD contains a universal grammar, allowing children to grasp complex grammatical rules without formal instruction. Supporters argue that this explains how children can develop language skills even when they are exposed to imperfect speech from adults. The LAD is believed to be located in the left frontal hemisphere of the brain and becomes active as infants begin to hear spoken language, helping them identify patterns and rules relevant to their native tongue.
Chomsky's theory challenges the notion that language is learned solely through imitation, highlighting that children often produce grammatically structured speech, even when they make errors. These errors, such as using "brang" instead of "brought," reflect an understanding of grammatical patterns rather than simple repetition. The LAD is thought to be most active in early childhood, with its influence diminishing as children grow older, which may explain why language acquisition becomes more challenging for adults. This theory has significant implications for understanding how children learn languages, supporting the idea that they can acquire multiple languages more readily than adults.
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Language Acquisition Device (LAD)
The language acquisition device is a theoretical area of a child’s brain that plays a key role in the ability to learn to speak and process language. It is thought to include an innate sense of grammar rules that help children make sense of and learn to use language without formal instruction. Those who support the existence of an LAD claim it explains how children seem to inherently understand complex rules of grammar that help language make sense.
Overview
The concept of a language acquisition device was developed by American linguist and cognitive scientist Noam Chomsky. Originally, Chomsky hypothesized that children are born with a part of their brain specifically dedicated to obtaining, understanding, and constructing language. However, overtime, Chomsky adjusted his theory to instead propose that children are born with inherent knowledge of language that includes a universal grammar, a concept he first introduced. This was contrary to the prevailing theory that children learned to speak purely by imitating the adults around them.
Chomsky noted that children can learn to speak one or more languages despite the fact that they receive no formal instruction. They also learn to speak according to a set of grammatical rules even though the adults around them speak in fragments, start and stop in mid-thought, and make grammatical mistakes. This concept is known as "poverty of the stimulus," which was also coined by Chomsky to explain how the richness of language is typically not a product of a child's environment but is instead a product of universal grammar. Even though various languages use different grammatical formats, there are only several basic grammar patterns into which all languages fit.
According to Chomsky, children are able to distinguish which grammatical pattern is part of their native language and apply it. As part of his evidence for this, Chomsky noted that children often use speech that fits into a grammatical pattern but is “wrong” because of language exceptions. For example, a child might use “brang” instead of “brought” because it fits the grammatical pattern for conjugating an “-ing” verb. These “mistakes” happen even if the child has never heard that word used, leading Chomsky to conclude they are part of an innate language acquisition device.
The language acquisition device is thought to be in the left frontal hemisphere of the brain. It is believed to work with the rest of the brain to help make language and grammatical speech happen. According to speech and language experts, this device is encoded with the basic rules of grammar that are common to all languages. It becomes active as soon as an infant begins hearing spoken language, determining the patterns and rules that apply to what will become the child’s native language.
This device helps children inherently recognize different forms of words, such as verbs and nouns, and how they go together to make a sensible sentence. The language acquisition device theory holds that this is why even very young children can understand what words mean from the word’s position in sentences. It is believed the LAD becomes less active by the time a child reaches about five or six years old and is nearly inactive by the time the child is in his or her teens. Those who support the existence of the language acquisition device say this is why children can easily learn multiple languages while adults have a harder time.
Bibliography
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Joy, Rebecca. “Are We Born Ready to Learn Language? Chomsky Theory Says Yes.” Healthline, 14 June 2019, www.healthline.com/health/childrens-health/chomsky-theory. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.
Lemetyinen, Henna. “Language Acquisition.” Simply Psychology, 7 Sept. 2023, www.simplypsychology.org/language.html. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.
Pankaew, Derek. “Noam Chomsky’s Theory of Language Acquisition.” Listening, 5 Aug. 2024, www.listening.com/blog/noam-chomskys-theory-of-language-acquisition/. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.