LING 1010 QUESTIONS 2025, ALL WITH
DETAILED VERIFIED CORRECT ANSWERS
The nature and nurture of universals
typological studies side with the nurture view in that there is no reliance on innate properties of
language.
Theoretical studies side with the nature view in that they assert that the mental grammar
is based on an innate 'template'
Transmission of mental grammar is indirect?
we dont inherit the full language from parents
-exposed to utterances, enter the mind, encounter the mental grammar, connect to build
language, produce utterances, repeat
3 ways in which one can collect data about language development
Longitudinal, Cross Sectional, Diary Studies
Longitudinal
One child from age 1 to 3.5
Cross sectional study
One child from one to 1.5-2.5, one from 2-3, one from 2.5-3.5, one from 3-4
Overlapping studies of different kids as they get older
Diary Studies
, The way that typical speech sound acquisition is researched
Linguist or psychologist parent kept record of children's language development over time
Still used to collect data on a specific issue
Used to study phonological development
Explain what is meant by habituation/dishabituation studies.
What do they know before an experience
How can we find out
Can't ask
Explain the principles-and-parameters model of language acquisition
suggests a 'nature and nurture' view on language acquisition
-principles are innate
-parameters are innate but their 'setting' depends on language input (nurture)
How does the distinction between principles and parameters relate to the different
logical types of universals?
Principals reflect absolute universals, and are innate
Parameters reflect disjunctive universals are innate (nature) but their setting depends on
language input (nurture)
Moderate Rationalism
Some language is innately fixed
The rest is 'innately variable' with limited values for each variable
Explain the role of parameter setting in language acquisition
Parameter setting is a compromising answer to the nature/nurture question
DETAILED VERIFIED CORRECT ANSWERS
The nature and nurture of universals
typological studies side with the nurture view in that there is no reliance on innate properties of
language.
Theoretical studies side with the nature view in that they assert that the mental grammar
is based on an innate 'template'
Transmission of mental grammar is indirect?
we dont inherit the full language from parents
-exposed to utterances, enter the mind, encounter the mental grammar, connect to build
language, produce utterances, repeat
3 ways in which one can collect data about language development
Longitudinal, Cross Sectional, Diary Studies
Longitudinal
One child from age 1 to 3.5
Cross sectional study
One child from one to 1.5-2.5, one from 2-3, one from 2.5-3.5, one from 3-4
Overlapping studies of different kids as they get older
Diary Studies
, The way that typical speech sound acquisition is researched
Linguist or psychologist parent kept record of children's language development over time
Still used to collect data on a specific issue
Used to study phonological development
Explain what is meant by habituation/dishabituation studies.
What do they know before an experience
How can we find out
Can't ask
Explain the principles-and-parameters model of language acquisition
suggests a 'nature and nurture' view on language acquisition
-principles are innate
-parameters are innate but their 'setting' depends on language input (nurture)
How does the distinction between principles and parameters relate to the different
logical types of universals?
Principals reflect absolute universals, and are innate
Parameters reflect disjunctive universals are innate (nature) but their setting depends on
language input (nurture)
Moderate Rationalism
Some language is innately fixed
The rest is 'innately variable' with limited values for each variable
Explain the role of parameter setting in language acquisition
Parameter setting is a compromising answer to the nature/nurture question
