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THE INAATE THEORY OR MENTALISTIC THEORY

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The Innate theory or Mentalistic theory

 

The innate theory of language learning was put forward by the most distinguished 20th-century linguist called ''Noam Chomsky''. This is also known as the ''mentalistic theory'' or ''nature theory''. This theory is best understood in contrast with the ''Behavioristic'' or ''Nurture theory'' of language learning. The behavioristic theory was put forward by ''Skinner'' in his book work ''Verbal Behavior''. It is based on the stimulus-response- reinforcement- repetition process. This theory emphasizes the preexistence of an ideal social environment for the learning of one’s mother tongue. It is maintained that language is a sort of behavior that we acquire in ideal socio conditions. The behaviorists do not believe that the child has a separate language learning capability.

It was in reaction to this theory that Chomsky came up with a new theory. According to Chomsky

''A child is innately preprogrammed to acquire language''.

This capability is something a child is born with. Chomsky does not exclude the pe condition of the social environment where people speak a language. But the device which enables him to pick up the language through stages is innate in him. This he explains concerning his new model of language known as ''Transformational Generative Grammar''.

When a child comes to the level of uttering individual words, it will always first utter a noun or noun phrase. In the next stage of his language development, this is followed by uttering verb or verb phrases. This order or sequence of learning N or NP-V or VP is a kind of universal phenomenon. Every child no matters what language he speaks will go through the same process of learning this first language. This theory has been a great impact on language learning both first and second.

So, we see Chomsky followed a mentalist approach based on cognitive learning.

''Cognitive learning is a way in which we relate new events or stem of knowledge to other concepts which are already present in our minds''.

By mentalism, we mean

    ''Something which involves the mind and the thought processes''.


Chomsky argues that language is so complex that it cannot be acquired by a child in such a short time. the child is born with some innate mental capacity that helps the child to process all the language which he hears.

This he calls the language acquisition device (L.A.D).


It is a special area of the brain whose only function is the Processing of language. This function of the brain is quite separate from any other mental capacity, the child has. The child constructs his ''Mental Grammar''. Once a child has acquired his native language, he can produce perfectly grammatical sentences.

According to Chomsky

''We learn our second language in the same way as we do in our first language''.

If the foreign learner makes mistake in the process of learning his second language, it is because he has not internalized the rules of grammar of his second language completely. in this context, Chomsky refers to two concepts about language

  • Competence
  • Performance
Competence:

Competence stand for the rules of grammar which is shared uniformly by all individuals of the natives.

Performance:

The performance is the individual utterance or utterances that are different among individuals as well as groups.

Conclusion

In the light of the above discussion, we can say that the innate theory of language learning is the most recent theory put forward by linguists and appears to be rationalistic. Though there is some truth in the behaviorist theory as well. It is the innate theory that has fundamentally changed all processes of learning our first and second language

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