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Generative Grammar

Generative Grammar theory, which states that there is innate knowledge of language existing right before knowledge of any particular language develops-Chomsky

General background

Generative grammar adopts certain approaches to language.

It is independent of discourse and context

it is usually impossible to understand the intention of a speaker without any

reference to the context.

certain context-free rules distinguish grammatical sentences

from ungrammatical ones.

Productivity and the purpose

Human languages are unique in many respects

productivity.

learners can, on the basis of encountering finite examples of

language, come to understand and produce novel combinations

This system not only allows for the production of grammatical sentences

but also disallows ungrammatical sentences.

That is, we know this contrast because the rule exists tacitly in our mind.

the Language Acquisition Device is universal, Chomsky considered human languages, to be variations of one human language.

language (competence) and language (performance)

linguistic knowledge is considered to be independent of other cognitive

the grammaticality of a sentence is usually independent of its meaning.

Grammar

syntactic module

semantic module

linguistics is divided into subfields, including

phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics, each of which can be considered

E-language (performance:

E stands for External)

Linguistic knowledge (I-language, i.e. competence: I stands for

Internal)

The development

The earliest model in Chomsky (1955)

offered where the structure of a sentence can be depicted in tree diagrams, which consist of sets of strings.

In the Extended Standard Model (Chomsky 1965)

1. the structure, a ‘deep structure’ is constructed, and then transformations

2. When all transformations have been applied, the ‘surface structure’ is constructed.

Chomsky (1973) introduced the notion of a ‘trace’,

Semantic interpretation does not have to be associated, ater, it was assumed that additional transformations take place between

surface structure and logical form

Theory or the Principles and Parameters framework.

In this theory, it was assumed that all

natural languages have common abstract rules,

in the syntax of different languages are attributed to formal features associated with

these categories (e.g. Chomsky 1993).

Minimalist Program was proposed (Chomsky

1995)

all operations

are based on the demands at the interfaces where ‘sounds’ and ‘meaning’ are interpreted

Research strategy

certain structures are not allowed in a grammar as well as why others are allowed

If a rule is too abstract to be learned from input, it is inferred to be present

innately as part of UG.

Program, where cross-linguistic differences are attributed to formal features associated with

functional categories.

Generative grammar and applied linguistics

help learners develop their linguistic knowledge

This is called

the structural continuity hypothesis.

the parametric differences among languages

are attributable to the features associated with functional categories.

Applying generative grammar to SLA

the claim that knowledge of language

constitutes a modular system (Towell and Hawkins 1994)

Involving processes of rule construction based not only on input but also on learners

Some languages have wh-movement while others do not. When wh-phrases do not move, the constraints