Which statement best describes Noam Chomsky's view on language?

Which statement best describes Noam Chomsky's view on language?

• A. Language is learned through reinforcement from the environment
• B. Language is not learned, but innate through maturation
• C. Language development is solely socially constructed
• D. Language has no genetic basis

Answer: (B)

Language ability, for Chomsky, comes from an innate cognitive endowment that unfolds through maturation. He argued that children acquire language rapidly and with surprisingly little explicit reinforcement, suggesting an internal grammar guiding learning rather than learning everything from the environment alone. This led to the idea of universal grammar and a language acquisition device—biological structures that predispose humans to acquire grammar from the linguistic input they receive. The experience of growing up bilingual or hearing various languages confirms patterns that point to an internal blueprint, not just social construction. This view also implies a genetic basis for language, rooted in our biology, rather than a purely environmental process.

Language ability, for Chomsky, comes from an innate cognitive endowment that unfolds through maturation. He argued that children acquire language rapidly and with surprisingly little explicit reinforcement, suggesting an internal grammar guiding learning rather than learning everything from the environment alone. This led to the idea of universal grammar and a language acquisition device—biological structures that predispose humans to acquire grammar from the linguistic input they receive. The experience of growing up bilingual or hearing various languages confirms patterns that point to an internal blueprint, not just social construction. This view also implies a genetic basis for language, rooted in our biology, rather than a purely environmental process.