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Journal articles on the topic 'Universal grammar (UG)'

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Published: 5 June 2025
Last updated: 2 August 2025

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1

Trettenbrein, Patrick C. "The “grammar” in Universal Grammar: A biolinguistic clarification." Questions and Answers in Linguistics 2, no. 1 (2015): 1–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/qal-2015-0005.

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Abstract This short piece addresses the confusion over terminology that has reigned, and partly still reigns, when it comes to the concept of Universal Grammar (UG). It is argued that whilst there might be changes in terminology and theory, conceptually UG cannot be eliminated. From a biolinguistic perspective, UG is not a hypothesis by any rational epistemological standard, but an axiom. Along these lines, the contemporary evolutionary perspective on the language faculty (FL) is briefly discussed to then argue that UG is necessarily part of FL in both a narrow and broad sense. Ultimately, reg
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2

Herschensohn, Julia. "Universal Grammar and the critical age." Behavioral and Brain Sciences 21, no. 4 (1998): 611–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x98211289.

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Differences of opinion between Epstein, Flynn & Martohardjono (1996) and some commentators can be traced to different interpretations of Universal Grammar (UG) form or strategy. Potential full access to the form of linguistic universals in second language acquisition may be distinguished from access to UG strategy, but Epstein et al.'s dismissal of the Critical Age Hypothesis clouds their central argument.
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Newmeyer, Frederick J. "Typological evidence and Universal Grammar." What Counts as Evidence in Linguistics? 28, no. 3 (2004): 527–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/sl.28.3.04new.

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The paper discusses the relevance of typological evidence for the construction of a theory of Universal Grammar (UG). After introducing UG-based approaches to typology, it goes on to argue that most typological generalizations are in no sense ‘knowledge of language’. In fact, some of the best-established typological generalizations have explanations based on language use, and so it is either empirically unmotivated or redundant to attempt to encompass them within UG theory. This conclusion is reinforced by a look at the widely-accepted Lexical Parameterization Hypothesis and by the current shi
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White, Lydia. "Second Language Acquisition and Universal Grammar." Studies in Second Language Acquisition 12, no. 2 (1990): 121–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0272263100009049.

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In this article, the motivation for Universal Grammar (UG), as assumed in the principles and parameters framework of generative grammar (Chomsky, 1981a, 1981b), is discussed, particular attention being paid to thelogical problemof first language acquisition. The potential role of UG in second language (L2) acquisition is then considered. Three different positions are reviewed: (a) the claim that UG is not available to L2 learners; (b) the claim that UG is fully available; and (c) the claim that the L2 learner's access to UG is mediated by the mother tongue. This raises the issue of what kind o
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Boussaid, Youness. "Is Universal Grammar Available To L2 Learners?" International Journal of Language and Literary Studies 4, no. 2 (2022): 321–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.36892/ijlls.v4i2.905.

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Nativist argues that Universal Grammar is the genetic component of the language faculty. This theoretical concept is controversial in many aspects. The lack of strong empirical evidence has rendered some language researchers and teachers troubled about what Universal Grammar is and whether L2 learners have access to UG. Understanding the different aspects of UG would assist teachers in approaching teaching L2 learners in the light of UG theory. The present review paper provides a brief account of what UG is and critically investigates the hypotheses and arguments for and against UG to give a c
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Borer, Hagit. "Access to Universal Grammar: The real issues." Behavioral and Brain Sciences 19, no. 4 (1996): 718–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x00043582.

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AbstractIssues concerning UG access for L2 acquisition as formulated by Epstein et al. are misleading as well as poorly discussed. UG accessibility can only be fully evaluated with respect to the steady state gram mar reached by the learner. The steady state for LI learners is self evidently the adult grammar in the speech community. For L2 learners, however, the steady state is not obvious. Yet, without its clear characterization, debates concerning stages of L2 acquisition and direct and indirect UG accessibility cannot be resolved.
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Martohardjono, Gita, Samuel David Epstein, and Suzanne Flynn. "Universal Grammar: Hypothesis space or grammar selection procedures? Is UG affected by Critical Periods?" Behavioral and Brain Sciences 21, no. 4 (1998): 612–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x98221285.

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Universal Grammar (UG) can be interpreted as a constraint on the form of possible grammars (hypothesis space) or as a constraint on acquisition strategies (selection procedures). In this response to Herschensohn we reiterate the position outlined in Epstein et al. (1996a, r), that in the evaluation of L2 acquisition as a UG- constrained process the former (possible grammars/ knowledge states) is critical, not the latter. Selection procedures, on the other hand, are important in that they may have a bearing on development in language acquisition. We raise the possibility that differences in fir
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Shoira Yakupbay kizi, Alimbaeva, Nurmuhammedova Nilufar Sali qizi, and Kosimova Kumush Golib kizi. "THE ROLE OF UNIVERSAL GRAMMAR IN SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION." INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2, no. 8 (2025): 22–25. https://doi.org/10.70728/tech.v2.i08.009.

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This article explores the role of Universal Grammar (UG) in the process of second language acquisition (SLA). It examines the theoreticalfoundations of UG, its application to SLA, and debates surrounding its accessibility to adult learners. Drawing on prominent studiesand linguistic theories, the paper analyses how UG principles influence second language learning and discusses alternative perspectiveschallenging the UG framework.
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9

Berent, Iris. "Unveiling phonological universals: A linguist who asks “why” is (inter alia) an experimental psychologist." Behavioral and Brain Sciences 32, no. 5 (2009): 450–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x09990628.

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AbstractEvans & Levinson (E&L) are right to hold theories of language accountable for language diversity, but typological data alone cannot determine the structure of mental phonological grammars. Grammatical universals are nonetheless testable by formal and experimental methods, and the growing research in experimental phonology demonstrates the viability of a comparative experimental evaluation of the Universal Grammar (UG) hypothesis.
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10

Felix, Sascha W. "Universal Grammar in Language Acquisition." Canadian Journal of Linguistics/Revue canadienne de linguistique 33, no. 4 (1988): 367–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0008413100013189.

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Progress in linguistic theory during the past 20 years has made it increasingly clear that language acquisition must be viewed as an essentially deductive process in which the child analyzes the input data s/he is exposed to on the basis of an innately specified set of restrictive principles — technically known as Universal Grammar — which narrowly constrain the kinds of hypotheses a child will consider vis-à-vis a given set of data (cf. Chomsky 1980, 1981, 1986; Hornstein and Lightfoot 1981; White 1982; Felix 1987). As a consequence, there is a growing interest in the question of how exactly
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11

Bierwisch, Manfred. "Universal Grammar and the Basic Variety." Second Language Research 13, no. 4 (1997): 348–66. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/026765839701300403.

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The Basic Variety (BV) as conceived by Klein and Perdue (K&P) is a relatively stable state in the process of spontaneous (adult) second language acquisition, characterized by a small set of phrasal, semantic and pragmatic principles. These principles are derived by inductive generalization from a fairly large body of data. They are considered by K&P as roughly equivalent to those of Universal Grammar (UG) in the sense of Chomsky's Minimalist Program, with the proviso that the BV allows for only weak (or unmarked) formal features. The present article first discusses the viability of the
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Goldberg, Adele E. "Universal Grammar? Or prerequisites for natural language?" Behavioral and Brain Sciences 31, no. 5 (2008): 522–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x0800513x.

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AbstractThis commentary aims to highlight what exactly is controversial about the traditional Universal Grammar (UG) hypothesis and what is not. There is widespread agreement that we are not born “blank slates,” that language universals exist, that grammar exists, and that adults have domain-specific representations of language. The point of contention is whether we should assume that there exist unlearned syntactic universals that are arbitrary and specific to Language.
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Bley-Vroman, Robert W., Sascha W. Felix, and Georgette L. loup. "The accessibility of Universal Grammar in adult language learning." Interlanguage studies bulletin (Utrecht) 4, no. 1 (1988): 1–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/026765838800400101.

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This paper investigates whether Universal Grammar (UG) is accessible to adult language learners. If adult acquirers have consistent access to intuitions of grammaticality in cases where the relevant constraints are underdetermined by the native language, this suggests that Universal Grammar continues to function in adult acquisition. Advanced Korean adult acquirers of English were given a test of grammaticality judgements on English wh-movement sentences, where the relevant constraints are thought to derive from principles of UG. Since Korean does not have syntactic wh-movement, correct intuit
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Sharma, Min Prasad. "An Inquiry into Universal Grammar." Rupandehi Campus Journal 3, no. 1 (2022): 33–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/rcj.v3i1.51545.

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Noam Chomsky revolutionized the study of linguistics when his book Syntactic Structures was published in 1957. This book gave birth to the idea of generative grammar, which is a theory about language structure. This grammar made a distinction between deep structure and surface structure, something like what Saussure called langue and parole. Chomsky claimed that language structure is innate or genetically inherited. Consequently, structure is to be found inside the organism and the hypothesis is that we learn language because we are born with a Universal Grammar (hereafter referred as UG) in o
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Kirby, Simon, Kenny Smith, and Henry Brighton. "From UG to Universals." What Counts as Evidence in Linguistics? 28, no. 3 (2004): 587–607. http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/sl.28.3.09kir.

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What constitutes linguistic evidence for Universal Grammar (UG)? The principal approach to this question equates UG on the one hand with language universals on the other. Parsimonious and general characterizations of linguistic variation are assumed to uncover features of UG. This paper reviews a recently developed evolutionary approach to language that casts doubt on this assumption: the Iterated Learning Model (ILM). We treat UG as a model of our prior learning bias, and consider how languages may adapt in response to this bias. By dealing directly with populations of linguistic agents, the
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Lieberman, Philip. "Universal Grammar and critical periods: A most amusing paradox." Behavioral and Brain Sciences 19, no. 4 (1996): 735. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x00043727.

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AbstractEpstein et al. take as given that, (1) a hypothetical Universal Grammar (UG) exists that allows children effortlessly to acquire their first language; they then argue (2) that critical or sensitive periods do not block the UG from second language acquisition. Therefore, why can't we all effortlessly “acquire” Tibetan in six months or so? Data concerning the neural bases of language are also noted.
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Lakshmanan, Usha. "Child Second Language Acquisition of Syntax." Studies in Second Language Acquisition 17, no. 3 (1995): 301–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0272263100014224.

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Recent advances in linguistic theory within the principles and parameters framework have exerted considerable influence on the field of second language acquisition. SLA researchers working within this framework of syntactic theory have investigated the extent to which developing second language grammars are constrained by principles of Universal Grammar (UG). Much of the UG-based SLA research in the 1980s focused on adult L2 acquisition, but the role of UG principles in child L2 acquisition remained largely unexplored. More recently, however, this state of affairs has begun to change as SLA re
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Freidin, Robert. "Adult language acquisition and Universal Grammar." Behavioral and Brain Sciences 19, no. 4 (1996): 725–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x00043636.

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AbstractThe current conception of the relation between UG and the grammar of a language rules out the no-access hypothesis, but does not distinguish between the full-access and partial-access hypotheses. The former raises the issue of why language acquisition in child and adult should be so different. The evidence presented in Epstein et al.'s target article seems inconclusive regarding a choice between hypotheses.
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Eckman, Fred R. "On evaluating arguments for special nativism in second language acquisition theory." Second Language Research 12, no. 4 (1996): 398–419. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/026765839601200404.

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This article attempts to evaluate several arguments that have been put forth in favour of special nativism in SLA. Specifically, the cases for each of the following claims are considered: 1) that Universal Grammar (UG) being implicated in L2 acquisition is the null hypothesis; 2) that any theory of SLA necessarily needs a theory of grammar; and 3) that showing that interlanguage grammars are underdetermined by the available input implies that UG must be accessible in L2 learning. In each case, it is argued that the arguments for special nativism are not compelling, and that it is therefore rea
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Schumann, John H. "Ad Minorem Theoriae Gloriam." Studies in Second Language Acquisition 17, no. 1 (1995): 59–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0272263100013759.

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Eubank and Gregg (1995) claim that “Jacobs and Schumann wish to deny the existence of UG” (p. 42). This statement presupposes the existence of Universal Grammar (UG). However, Jacobs, Schumann, and Pulvermuller see the existence of UG and its possible neural substrate as an empirical issue and, therefore, are free to explore it, examine it, and question it. If it were demonstrated that there were, in fact, no UG, it would do great violence to Eubank and Gregg's theory. However, if it were demonstrated that UG did exist, Jacobs, Schumann, and Pulvermüller could easily accommodate this fact in t
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Christensen, Christian Hejlesen. "Arguments for and against the Idea of Universal Grammar." Leviathan: Interdisciplinary Journal in English, no. 4 (March 1, 2019): 12–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.7146/lev.v0i4.112677.

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For many, language is viewed as something that is actively learned through sensory stimulus and training. However, the idea of Universal Grammar (UG) challenges this notion by pointing at the inconsistencies in the behaviorist model of language learning. Proponents of Universal Grammar argue that language is acquired rather than learned, meaning that linguistic structures are a biologically innate part of the human mind. This paper explores arguments on both sides of the issue, beginning with the classical behaviorist model and then turning to two selected arguments for UG before finally discu
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Febria Zananda, Tiray. "THE ROLE OF UNIVERSAL GRAMMAR AND AGE IN SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION." Enrich: Jurnal Pendidikan, Bahasa, Sastra dan Linguistik 3, no. 1 (2022): 27–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.36546/pbi.v5i1.645.

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The term of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) is refers to the acquisition of second language in any stage of age, can be children or adults. In learning Second Language Acquisition, people can learn it because they have Universal Grammar (UG). UG is an “innate” for everyone.
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Wolfe-Quintero, Kate. "Nativism does not equal Universal Grammar." Second Language Research 12, no. 4 (1996): 335–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/026765839601200402.

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This article is about nativist theories of language learning and how they apply to SLA. I am seeking a nativism that goes beyond the scope of Universal Grammar (UG), that explains the human cognitive capacity for language learning (language knowledge, learning, and processing), the learning of all language structures found in natural languages (both core and peripheral), and SLA (learnability, development, transfer, and differential success). Such a theory does not yet exist, but current nativist theories (linguistic, developmental, general and connectionist) suggest ways in which such a theor
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Alsaedi, Naif. "Universal Grammar Theory and Language Acquisition: Evidence from the Null Subject Parameter." International Journal of Linguistics 9, no. 3 (2017): 48. http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/ijl.v9i3.11159.

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This article introduces the Universal-Grammar-based (UG) theory of language acquisition. It focuses on parameters, both as a theoretical construct and in relation to first-language acquisition (L1A). The null subject parameter is used to illustrate how languages vary and explain how a child’s grammar develops into adult grammar over time. The article is structured as follows: the first section outlines crucial ideas that are relevant to language acquisition in generative linguistics, such as the notions of competence, performance, critical period, and language faculty. Section two introduces a
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Tomaselli, Alessandra, and Bonnie D. Schwartz. "Analysing the acquisition stages of negation in L2 German: support for UG in adult SLA." Interlanguage studies bulletin (Utrecht) 6, no. 1 (1990): 1–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/026765839000600101.

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This paper continues the debate concerning the availability of Universal Grammar (UG) to adult L2 acquirers. Specifically, an analysis of native (prodrop) Romance speakers' acquisition of negative placement in L2 German is provided. Contrary to Clahsen (1987; 1988a) and Clahsen and Muysken (1988), we argue that a UG-based analysis for the three stages of NEGplacement is not only possible but in fact provides independent support for UG-based analyses of the developmental sequence found in L1 Romance, L2 German Verb placement (duPlessis et al, 1987; Schwartz and Tomaselli, 1988). In particular,
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Clahsen, Harald, and Pieter Muysken. "The UG paradox in L2 acquisition." Interlanguage studies bulletin (Utrecht) 5, no. 1 (1989): 1–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/026765838900500101.

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There is a considerable amount of recent evidence that stable principles of Universal Grammar (UG) are available to adult second language (L2) learners in structuring their intuitions about the target language grammar. In contrast, however, there is also evidence from the acquisition of word order, agreement and negation in German that there are substantial differences between first language (L1) and L2 learners. In our view, these differences are due to UG principles guiding L1, but not L2 acquisition. We will show that alternative ways of accounting for the L1/L2 differences are not successf
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Truscott, John. "Instance theory and Universal Grammar in second language research." Second Language Research 14, no. 3 (1998): 257–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.1191/026765898670205199.

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This article considers the possibility of applying instance theory to the study of language, second language in particular. Instance theory de-emphasizes the role of abstract principles in knowledge and its acquisition and use, focusing instead on the storage and retrieval of specific experiences, or instances. I argue that the application is feasible only if one also adopts a restrictive theory of Universal Grammar. I then present a sketch of a combined UG–instance theory approach, in which invariant aspects of UG are maintained and variability is allowed in exactly the same areas as in stand
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Liceras, Juana M. "Second Language Acquisition and Syntactic Theory in the 21st Century." Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 30 (March 2010): 248–69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0267190510000097.

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Syntactic theory has played a role in second language acquisition (SLA) research since the early 1980s, when the principles and parameters model of generative grammar was implemented. However, it was the so-called functional parameterization hypothesis together with the debate on whether second language learners activated new features or switched their value that led to detailed and in-depth analyses of the syntactic properties of many different nonnative grammars. In the last 10 years, with the minimalist program as background, these analyses have diverted more and more from looking at those
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White, Lydia. "Universal Grammar, crosslinguistic variation and second language acquisition." Language Teaching 45, no. 3 (2012): 309–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0261444812000146.

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According to generative linguistic theory, certain principles underlying language structure are innately given, accounting for how children are able to acquire their mother tongues (L1s) despite a mismatch between the linguistic input and the complex unconscious mental representation of language that children achieve. This innate structure is referred to as Universal Grammar (UG); it includes universal principles, as well as parameters which allow for constrained variation across languages.
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MENDÍVIL-GIRÓ, JOSÉ-LUIS. "Is Universal Grammar ready for retirement? A short review of a longstanding misinterpretation." Journal of Linguistics 54, no. 4 (2018): 859–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022226718000166.

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In this paper I consider recent studies that deny the existence of Universal Grammar (UG), and I show how the concept of UG that is attacked in these works is quite different from Chomsky’s, and thus that such criticisms are not valid. My principal focus is on the notions of ‘linguistic specificity’ and of ‘innateness’, and I conclude that, since the controversy about UG is based on misinterpretations, it is rendered sterile and thus does unnecessary harm to linguistic science. I also address the underlying reasons for these misunderstandings and suggest that, once they have been clarified, th
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Li, Yaxin, Yixuan Liu, and Ruimin Sun. "Accessibility of Subjacency Principle and Empty Category Principle to SLA." BCP Business & Management 20 (June 28, 2022): 570–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.54691/bcpbm.v20i.1033.

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A foreign language is essential for promoting world exchanges. Chomsky's theory of universal grammar is one of the representative theories to reveal how language learners acquire their mother tongue. However, in recent years, more and more researchers have focused on the accessibility of UG to SLA. This study investigates the accessibility of UG to 50 native Chinese university students by investigating their acquisition of the two general grammar principles of WH word shift limit: Adjacency Principle and Empty Category Principle. Another 5 native English speakers are set up in the control grou
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Harnad, Stevan. "Why and how the problem of the evolution of Universal Grammar (UG) is hard." Behavioral and Brain Sciences 31, no. 5 (2008): 524–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x08005153.

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AbstractChristiansen & Chater (C&C) suggest that language is an organism, like us, and that our brains were not selected for Universal Grammar (UG) capacity; rather, languages were selected for learnability with minimal trial-and-error experience by our brains. This explanation is circular: Where did our brain's selective capacity to learn all and only UG-compliant languages come from?
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Uy, Francisca T., Fideliza U. Cojuangco, Ryzel Maureen F. Canes, Osias Kit T. Kilag, Cara Frances K. Abendan, and Imee B. Dicdiquin. "Syntax and Beyond Investigating Chomsky's Universal Grammar in the Acquisition of Second Languages." International Multidisciplinary Journal of Research for Innovation, Sustainability, and Excellence (IMJRISE) 1, no. 2 (2024): 340–47. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11123681.

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Abstract  This study investigates the pervasive influence of Chomsky's Universal Grammar (UG) in the  acquisition of second languages across diverse linguistic dimensions. Through a systematic  literature review, four distinct themes emerged, each shedding light on the intricate interplay  between UG and the various aspects of language learning. The first theme reveals UG's enduring  impact on syntax, as evidenced by consistent patterns of syntactic transfer from native to second  languages. In the second theme, UG's influence extends to morphological acquisition,
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Hawkins, Roger. "The theoretical significance of Universal Grammar in second language acquisition." Second Language Research 17, no. 4 (2001): 345–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/026765830101700404.

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The evidence that native language acquisition is possible only because children are born with an innately-determined language faculty - Universal Grammar - is considerable. The evidence that the same innate ability is involved in second language acquisition (SLA) by older learners is superficially less clear. There are differences both in the context of acquisition and the nature of development. One recent approach suggests that only ‘poverty of the stimulus’ phenomena - where neither the first language (L1) nor the second language (L2) are possible sources for L2 representations - can provide
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Paolillo, John C. "ASYMMETRIES IN UNIVERSAL GRAMMAR The Role of Method and Statistics." Studies in Second Language Acquisition 22, no. 2 (2000): 209–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0272263100002035.

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Felix (1988) claimed to demonstrate that UG-based knowledge of grammaticality causes nonnative speakers (NNSs) to have more accurate grammaticality judgments on sentences that are ungrammatical according to UG than on those that are grammatical. Birdsong (1994) criticized the methodology employed, noting that it ignores “response bias” (a propensity to judge sentences as ungrammatical) as a potential explanation. Felix and Zobl (1994) dismissed this criticism as merely methodological. In this paper, Birdsong's criticism is upheld by considering a statistical model of the data. At the same time
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Grégis, Rosi Ana. "A IMPORTÂNCIA DOS ESTUDOS SOBRE A GRAMÁTICA UNIVERSAL NAS PESQUISAS EM AQUISIÇÃO DE SEGUNDA LÍNGUA | THE IMPORTANCE OF UNIVERSAL GRAMMAR STUDIES IN SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION RESEARCH." Estudos Linguísticos e Literários, no. 54 (January 12, 2016): 163. http://dx.doi.org/10.9771/2176-4794ell.v0i54.16052.

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<p>A importância dos estudos da Gramática Universal (GU) de Noam Chomsky, tanto para pesquisas sobre a língua materna quanto para pesquisas sobre línguas estrangeiras, é incontestável. Para Chomsky e seus seguidores, aprendemos nossa primeira língua de maneira inata. Além disso, todas as línguas possuem certas características universais (princípios) e algumas diferenças entre si (parâmetros). Uma das questões mais relevantes acerca da relação entre a GU e os estudos de Aquisição de Segunda Língua (SLA) é saber se o acesso à Gramática Universal segue operando de forma semelhante quando ap
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Conradie, Simone. "Investigating the acquisition of the Split-IP parameter and the V2 parameter in second language Afrikaans." Second Language Research 22, no. 1 (2006): 64–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1191/0267658306sr261oa.

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Researchers who assume that Universal Grammar (UG) plays a role in second language (L2) acquisition are still debating whether L2 learners have access to UG in its entirety (the Full Access hypothesis; e.g. Schwartz and Sprouse, 1994; 1996; White, 1989; 2003) or only to those aspects of UG that are instantiated in their first language (L1) grammar (the No Parameter Resetting hypothesis; e.g. Hawkins and Chan, 1997). The Full Access hypothesis predicts that parameter resetting will be possible where the L1 and L2 differ in parameter values, whereas the No Parameter Resetting hypothesis predicts
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McCarthy, Teri. "Language and Humanity: Is It More Than Mere Instinct?" Baltic Journal of English Language, Literature and Culture 4 (April 25, 2014): 69–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.22364/bjellc.04.2014.06.

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Noam Chomsky and Steven Pinker have brought to the linguistic arena the terms Universal Grammar (UG), Generative Grammar (GG) and Language Instinct. UG/GG are based on the premise that human babies are born with an intact, generalized language instinct – language somehow is already preconfigured in their brains – so that much of the complex structures of human language is encoded in the human genetic inheritance. In this paper I look at the theories of language instinct, UG and GG to determine if these theories have a grounding in empirical science brought about by new technologies and new res
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Xavier, Gildete Rocha. "Acesso à Gramática Universal (GU) por aprendizes de segunda língua (L2) (Access to Universal Grammar (UG) by second language learners (L2))." Estudos da Língua(gem) 5, no. 2 (2007): 7. http://dx.doi.org/10.22481/el.v5i2.1035.

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O acesso à Gramática Universal (GU) por aprendizes de segunda língua (L2) tem sido um tema de grande relevância nos estudos Gerativistas nos últimos trinta anos (White, 1989; Eubank 1991; Epstein et al. 1996). Uma visão contrária é encontrada em Clahsen e Muysken (1996) que defendem a Hipótese do Acesso Nulo. Na presente pesquisa, defendemos o acesso à GU por adultos estrangeiros aprendizes do português brasileiro como L2, mas, ao contrário do que postulam Epstein et al (1996) com a Hipótese do Acesso Total, mostramos que o aprendiz de L2 pode ter acesso à GU também através da sua L1.PALAVRAS-
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Hildebrand, Joyce. "The Acquisition of Preposition Stranding." Canadian Journal of Linguistics/Revue canadienne de linguistique 32, no. 1 (1987): 65–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0008413100012020.

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This study examines the acquisition of a familiar and widely studied syntactic phenomenon, preposition stranding, within the framework of transformational generative grammar. According to Chomsky’s theory of Universal Grammar (UG), children begin the acquisition task with an innate knowledge of universal principles of grammar. Many of these principles have open parameters with marked and unmarked options which must be set by children on the basis of their linguistic input. The marked setting entails the unmarked setting in that if a language allows the marked structures it will also allow the
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Belikova, Alyona, and Lydia White. "EVIDENCE FOR THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE HYPOTHESIS OR NOT?" Studies in Second Language Acquisition 31, no. 2 (2009): 199–223. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0272263109090287.

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This article examines how changes in linguistic theory affect the debate between the fundamental difference hypothesis and the access-to-Universal Grammar (UG) approach to SLA. With a focus on subjacency (Chomsky, 1973), a principle of UG that places constraints on wh-movement and that has frequently been taken as a test case for verifying second language (L2) access to UG, we reanalyze earlier L2 findings in terms of a revised constraint, which effectively prohibits extraction out of subjects and adjuncts. We show that L2 learners indeed observe such a constraint on wh-movement, and, at the s
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Abbas, Tasawar, and Hafiz Ghulam Yaseen. "Critical Review on Universal Grammar of Chomsky in Learning a Second language." Ascarya: Journal of Islamic Science, Culture, and Social Studies 2, no. 2 (2022): 190–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.53754/iscs.v2i2.465.

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As many scholars have their own viewpoints and perspectives on Chomsky's universal grammar theory, this article shows recent developments in L2 learning by Chomsky. A significant turning point at the moment is Chomsky's UG approach to language education, particularly its values and parameters. Many researchers argue that with SLA, UG has problems like Fries and Palmer. They say that there are linguistic variations that make it difficult to differentiate between the SLA and the first language acquisition. It is possible to further clarify what would be specifically based on in future linguistic
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Behme, Christina. "Languages as evolving organisms – The solution to the logical problem of language evolution?" Behavioral and Brain Sciences 31, no. 5 (2008): 512–13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x08005025.

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AbstractChristiansen & Chater (C&C) argue persuasively that Universal Grammar (UG) could not have arisen through evolutionary processes. I provide additional suggestions to strengthen the argument against UG evolution. Further, I suggest that C&C's solution to the logical problem of language evolution faces several problems. Widening the focus to mechanisms of general cognition and inclusion of animal communication research might overcome these problems.
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Wu, Tong. "A refutation of “a refutation of universal grammar”(Lin, f. 2017. Lingua 193. 1–22.)." Poznan Studies in Contemporary Linguistics 56, no. 1 (2020): 169–205. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/psicl-2020-0005.

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AbstractLin (2017), according to the author, “offers a refutation of Chomsky’s Universal Grammar (UG) from a novel perspective”. Unfortunately, “novel” does not mean logical or valid. On the contrary, as I will show in this refutation of Lin’s refutation, there is a profound and fundamental misunderstanding in Lin’s interpretation of UG. His refutation only proves his superficial understanding of the questions raised and discussed, which nevertheless are worth discussing and explaining. I take each of Lin’s arguments in turn and attempt to show why they are not well founded, either because of
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Alamgir, Muhammad, Dr Shamim Ali, Ghulam Abbas Balti, and Javed Iqbal. "Universal Grammar in Second Language Acquisition: A Neurolinguistics Investigation of Syntactic Processing in Adult Learners." ACADEMIA International Journal for Social Sciences 4, no. 2 (2025): 1271–78. https://doi.org/10.63056/acad.004.02.0253.

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The role of Universal Grammar (UG) in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) and its connection with neurolinguistics is explored by this study. The theory states that all humans have an innate capacity for language acquisition and are born with the natural ability to acquire language. However, its role in adult second language (L2) learning remains debated. Research indicates that while children rely on UG for language learning, adults depend more on memory and cognitive strategies. Neurolinguistic studies show that native speakers primarily use the left hemisphere for language processing, whereas
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Felix, Sascha W., and Wilfried Weigl. "Universal Grammar in the classroom: the effects of formal instruction on second language acquisition." Interlanguage studies bulletin (Utrecht) 7, no. 2 (1991): 162–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/026765839100700206.

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One of the dominating issues in recent second language acquisition research has been the question of whether or not L2 learners have access to principles of Universal Grammar. It seems that currently there is fairly strong evidence both for and against UG-access by L2 learners. Consequently, the question arises what kinds of factors may potentially further or block UG-access and whether such factors can be related to certain properties of the learning environment. In this paper we wish to approach this question by looking at a somewhat extreme learning situation, namely the acquisition (or may
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Hopp, Holger. "Constraining second language word order optionality: scrambling in advanced English-German and Japanese-German interlanguage." Second Language Research 21, no. 1 (2005): 34–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1191/0267658305sr246oa.

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This study documents knowledge of UG-mediated aspects of optionality in word order in the second language (L2) German of advanced English and Japanese speakers ( n = 39). A bimodal grammaticality judgement task, which controlled for context and intonation, was administered to probe judgements on a set of scrambling, topicalization and remnant movement constructions. Given first language (L1) differences and Poverty of the Stimulus, English and Japanese learners face distinct learnability challenges. Assuming Minimalist grammatical architecture (Chomsky, 1995), convergence on the target languag
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Vainikka, Anne, and Martha Young-Scholten. "Partial transfer, not partial access." Behavioral and Brain Sciences 19, no. 4 (1996): 744–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x00043831.

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AbstractOur results support the idea that adults have access to the principles and parameters of Universal Grammar (UG), contrary to Epstein et al.'s misrepresentation of our work as involving partial access to UG. For both LI and L2 acquisition, functional projections appear to develop in a gradual fashion, but in L2 acquisition there is partial transfer in that the lowest projection (VP) is transferred from the speaker's LI.
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White, Lydia, Lisa Travis, and Anna MacLachlan. "The Acquisition of Wh-Question Formation by Malagasy Learners of English: Evidence for Universal Grammar." Canadian Journal of Linguistics/Revue canadienne de linguistique 37, no. 3 (1992): 341–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0008413100019915.

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In investigations of the question of whether or not Universal Grammar (UG) is available in non-primary language acquisition, a number of researchers have tried to isolate situations where the way principles of UG operate in the first language (L1) could not help the learner acquire the relevant properties of the second language (L2). If learners show evidence of acquiring properties of the L2 that could not be acquired from the input alone and could not be reconstructed via the L1, this suggests that UG is available in non-primary acquisition; in contrast, if learners fail under such circumsta
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THEAKSTON, ANNA L. "The Modularity Matching model: a solution to the problem of performance limitations in production?" Journal of Child Language 31, no. 2 (2004): 508–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s030500090400618x.

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In his review of Crain & Thornton's (C&T) (1998) ‘Investigations in Universal Grammar’ (IUG), Drozd raises the question of how models of children's linguistic competence relate to their linguistic performance. He highlights the use of processing limitations (PLs) to explain children's non-adultlike performance in most models of acquisition that adopt a Universal Grammar (UG) framework. Although the Modularity Matching (MM) model claims to avoid the need for performance-based constraints by assuming that children and adults operate with the same processing resources, Drozd argues that t
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