Noam Chomsky's innate grammar theory

Definition

Noam Chomsky's innate grammar theory suggests that humans are born with an inherent ability to acquire and understand language. It proposes that there is a universal grammar shared by all languages, and the capacity for language acquisition is hard-wired into our brains.

Related terms

Biological determinism: The belief that human behavior is primarily determined by biological factors rather than environmental or social influences.

Linguistic relativity hypothesis: The idea that the structure of a language influences the way individuals perceive and think about the world.

Language acquisition device (LAD): A hypothetical cognitive module proposed by Chomsky as part of his theory, which enables children to learn language rapidly during early childhood.