One example of a principle in universal grammar is that language is structured into phrases, such as noun phrases, verb phrases and prepositional phrases ( structural dependency), and these phrases are dependent upon each other for meaning. The principle is that we drive on one side of the road. This means that language learning is highly constrained in advance, making the language learning task much more manageable for the child.Ī good analogy of principles and parameters is driving on one side of the road. Principles are what all languages have in common parameters are areas where these principles vary. It is a genetic blueprint, made up of principles and parameters that guide and constrain language learning, thus making language learning much easier. UG is the initial state of the L1 language learner. Learning a mother tongue is what infants do they can’t help it (a bit like spiders spinning webs). UG theory says that humans are biologically endowed with the ability to learn language. They may take different lengths of time, but as long as they have no specific learning difficulty, all children will acquire their L1. The cognitive aspect is interesting: young children think in concrete terms and cannot deal with abstract terms, yet they can apply the seemingly abstract rules of a language.Ĭhildren also acquire their L1 regardless of their environment. Universal Grammar is the answer to the ‘logical problem of language learning’: how do young children, with their limited cognition and limited and ‘messy’ input, manage to learn their L1 so fast and so effortlessly, producing output that they cannot have heard in input?
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