Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Chomsky's theory, also known as the nativist theory of language development, proposes that humans are born with an innate ability to acquire language due to a specialized language acquisition device in the brain.
Related terms
Language acquisition device (LAD): The LAD is a hypothetical structure proposed by Chomsky that is responsible for facilitating language learning in children.
Universal grammar: Universal grammar refers to the innate set of rules and principles shared by all human languages, according to Chomsky's theory.
Critical period hypothesis: This hypothesis suggests that there is a specific window of time during childhood when language acquisition is most optimal.