May 15
nativist theory of language development was never meant to apply to humans. it actually comes from a gnome named chompsky who studied elven language development, but unfortunately during the human assistance program, someone misunderstood
#kotlc#for the non-linguists. im about to explain the joke#there have been many many debates in linguistics about how children acquire language. with two primary positions#1. nativism and 2. usage-based learning#nativism is the belief that language is innate. we have biological hardwiring in our brains for language#this doesnt mean we're born speaking. but that we're born with universal frameworks that mature and kick in at certain#developmental milestones#this theory is primarily associated with Noam Chompsky#it is also considered mostly incorrect and outdated at this point#usage-based learning is preferred instead. and that says we don't have innate language specific structures in the brain#but instead use general skills like pattern recognition and apply that to learning language based on our exposure#we learn through listening because our environments are rich with language (chompsky says there's not enough input. he's wrong)#with the concession that there is SOME neuroplasticity involved. and your brain is more receptive to this when you are younger#and if you dont have any exposure to language at all. past a certain age. you will lose the ability to fully develop a language#(this is why sign language exposure is so important for deaf children. they're very vulnerable to delays bc parents prioritize speaking#when in reality. their ability to learn a spoken language will be greatly improved if they're given sign language as early as possible)#(this is v complicated and im simplifying. but give! deaf! children! sign! language! its the best thing for their development)#SO. the joke is that. since nativism is largely incorrect. but kotlc elves are different and speak from birth and such#and because noam is a homophone of gnome#nativism is an elf-based language development theory developed by a gnome that got mistakenly applied to humans#okay this has been overexplaining the joke time with quil <3
