This paper is mainly investigating the properties of parameters and their connection to language acquisition. One of the core questions will be, in how far Chomsky´s assumption of parameters being generally equipped with a default value can be validated. In order to obtain a more detailed account of parameters in language acquisition, a chronological analysis of relevant study areas will be made, moving from a broad perspective to more and more detailed descriptions. This analysis contains a brief overview of the Faculty of Language and the LAD as well as of Universal Grammar, simply because the parameters in question derive from these systems. Afterwards a detailed look will be taken on specific features of parameters, taking Meisel´s text `Parameters in Acquisition´ as a basis. To become more specific in order to further question certain features of parameters that have occurred by then, further linguistic fields will be taken into account, namely bilingual studies, neurolinguistics, and computational linguistics.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction:
2. Language Faculty/LAD:
2.1 Universal Grammar:
2.2 Principles and Parameters:
2.3 Maturation and Continuity:
3. Parameter Theory:
3.1 The Initial State of Parameters:
3.2 Triggering:
3.3 Possible Settings of Parameter Values:
4. Parameters and Bilingualism
5. Parameters in Computational Linguistics:
6. Conclusion:
Objectives & Research Topics
This paper investigates the properties of parameters and their role in language acquisition, specifically examining the validity of Chomsky’s assumption regarding default values. It explores how parameters function within the Language Acquisition Device (LAD) and analyzes their development through the lenses of linguistics, bilingual studies, and computational models.
- Theoretical foundations of Universal Grammar and the Principles and Parameters approach.
- Maturation and continuity hypotheses regarding language development.
- The mechanisms of parameter triggering and the initial state of parameters.
- The impact of bilingualism and language proficiency on cortical activity and parameter setting.
- Computational simulations and the coevolutionary dynamics of language acquisition.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 The Initial State of Parameters:
There are two fundamental theories about the initial state of parameters. Option one defines parameters to be initially set on default values which can be reset, if a certain languages requires a different value than the default one. Meisel states that “children, during early phases of language acquisition, tend to omit elements which are obligatory in adult grammar”, i.e. the paradox of UG mentioned above (1995: 15). Based on this paradox, Meisel assumes that the differences in child grammar can found in default values, which need to be reset by certain input during language acquisition. As mentioned above, Chomsky goes to such lengths as to proclaim that all parameters, in their initial state S0, are set on a default value. The problem is “whether and how [a] parameter can be reset” at all. According to Clahsen (1991) and Müller (1994), they cannot (Meisel, 1995: 15).
In general, there are three possible scenarios for resetting a default value (Meisel, 1995: 15-6). One could be that the null-subject value is set on negative during the acquisition of Spanish. The child would perceive positive evidence from its environment, indicating that subject-drop is part of the target grammar, consequentially reset to the positive value. It becomes more complicated when the child is only served with negative evidence, e.g. the null-subject being set to positive value during the acquisition of English. How does the child, usually not being corrected when making grammar mistakes, realize that English requires the pro-drop parameter has to be set on the negative value? This leads to the third possibility, namely “indirect positive evidence”: the child realizes itself that a parameter has to be reset, due to tha fact that no positive evidence is available. Option one and three are consistent with Chomsky´s assumption that “that children learn language from positive evidence only (corrections not being required or relevant)” (Chomsky, 1986: 55). A basic problem resulting from a possible resetting of parameters is that “learners can never be sure that the corresponding parameter option may indeed be ruled out as a possibility for the grammar being acquired”, since it is very possible for a child to receive party wrong grammatical input from its environment (Meisel, 1995: 16)
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the paper's focus on investigating parameter properties and their role in language acquisition, setting up the scope across various linguistic fields.
2. Language Faculty/LAD: Explores the human capacity for speech, specifically defining the Faculty of Language and the Language Acquisition Device as proposed by Chomsky.
2.1 Universal Grammar: Discusses the abstract model of innate knowledge that constrains language acquisition to solve the discrepancy between experience and knowledge.
2.2 Principles and Parameters: Explains the distinction between universal principles and language-specific parameters that allow for variations between languages.
2.3 Maturation and Continuity: Analyzes two core hypotheses regarding how children's grammar develops from the initial state to the final state.
3. Parameter Theory: Provides an overview of how parameters function to account for grammatical variation and potential hierarchies between settings.
3.1 The Initial State of Parameters: Details theories on whether parameters start with default values and how they might be reset based on language input.
3.2 Triggering: Investigates the mechanism by which unique grammatical features "trigger" the activation of specific parameter values.
3.3 Possible Settings of Parameter Values: Discusses metaphors of switches versus locked settings and the implications for language acquisition and change.
4. Parameters and Bilingualism: Examines how bilingual speakers manage parameters, incorporating neurological research to study language overlap and cortical activity.
5. Parameters in Computational Linguistics: Explores computational simulations and evolutionary pressure as factors that influence parameter development and efficiency.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes the necessity of default values in nativistic linguistic theories while acknowledging the need for further research into the neural and genetic basis of parameter setting.
Keywords
Universal Grammar, Parameters, Language Acquisition, LAD, Principles, Maturation, Continuity, Bilingualism, Cortical Activity, Computational Linguistics, Triggering, Default Values, Core Grammar, Pro-drop, Nativism
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary objective of this paper?
The paper aims to investigate the properties of parameters within the context of language acquisition, specifically evaluating Chomsky’s assumption that parameters are equipped with default values.
What are the central thematic areas covered?
The work covers Universal Grammar, the Language Acquisition Device (LAD), parameter theory, the impact of bilingualism on language processing, and computational models of language evolution.
What is the core research question regarding parameters?
A central question is whether parameters possess an initial default value that can be reset during acquisition, and how this process is managed by the human brain.
Which scientific methods are primarily utilized?
The paper employs a theoretical analysis of linguistic literature (specifically nativist approaches) and integrates findings from neuropsychological studies and computational simulations.
What does the main body of the work focus on?
The main body examines the structural foundations of parameters, the maturation and continuity hypotheses, triggering mechanisms, bilingual language processing, and the coevolutionary dynamics of language.
How would you describe the key terms of this work?
Key terms include Universal Grammar, Parameters, the Language Acquisition Device, and various hypotheses like Maturation and Continuity that explain grammatical development.
How does the author address the "pro-drop" parameter?
The "pro-drop" parameter serves as a primary example to illustrate how the setting of one parameter can create a "snowball effect," leading to a clustering of other grammatical properties in a language.
What is the significance of the findings in bilingual studies?
The findings suggest that highly proficient bilinguals often rely on similar neural networks for both languages, challenging the notion of strictly locked, one-dimensional parameters.
How does computational linguistics contribute to this study?
It introduces the "coevolutionary dynamic," where computational simulations show that default values might be favored by natural selection pressure to make language acquisition more efficient.
What is the conclusion regarding default values?
The conclusion is that the total negation of default values is not an option, as most nativistic linguistic theories rely on some form of predetermined initial values.
- Quote paper
- Jens Stuhlemer (Author), 2015, Properties of parameters and their connection to language acquisition, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/379228
