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Universal Grammar Approaches to Language Acquisition

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Language Acquisition

Part of the book series: Palgrave Advances in Linguistics ((PADLL))

Abstract

How children succeed in acquiring language, without apparent effort and following similar milestones, at a time when dressing, and eating without getting dirty are still problems, has been a central question in generative linguistics (Chomsky, 1957, 1959, 1975; Guasti, 2002) since its inception. This chapter will provide an answer to this question by adopting the Universal Grammar (UG) approach to language acquisition which presumes that language is what makes us humans and distinguishes us from non-human animals. We acquire language because it is part and parcel of our nature.

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Authors
  1. Maria Teresa Guasti
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Christchurch, New Zealand

    Susan Foster-Cohen

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© 2009 Maria Teresa Guasti

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Guasti, M.T. (2009). Universal Grammar Approaches to Language Acquisition. In: Foster-Cohen, S. (eds) Language Acquisition. Palgrave Advances in Linguistics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230240780_5

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