TED-Ed: What do all languages have in common? | Cameron Morin

The video explores Noam Chomsky's theory of universal grammar, which suggests that all languages share innate grammatical rules. It discusses the development of generative syntax and the challenges in identifying universal grammar rules due to language variability. Chomsky's revised theory of principles and parameters is introduced, highlighting shared grammatical principles with varying applications. The concept of recursion as a universal principle is examined, along with the debate on whether language faculty is innate. The video concludes with the impact of these theories on linguistics and cognitive science.

What did Noam Chomsky propose as the key to language versatility?

• Vocabulary

• Pronunciation

• Grammar

• Syntax

What tool did Chomsky develop to analyze the order of words in a sentence?

• Semantic Network

• Generative Syntax

• Phonetic Analysis

• Lexical Mapping

What was a major challenge in establishing universal grammar rules?

• Inability to translate languages

• Lack of interest in linguistics

• Insufficient data from many languages

• Complexity of phonetics

What does Chomsky's principles and parameters theory suggest?

• Language is purely a cultural construct

• Grammar is learned through imitation

• All languages have identical grammar

• Languages share principles but vary in parameters

What is recursion in the context of universal grammar?

• A technique for improving pronunciation

• A way to memorize vocabulary

• A principle where structures can be nested

• A method of language translation

What did behaviorists believe about language acquisition?

• It is genetically determined

• It is a result of cognitive development

• It is acquired from the environment

• It is innate and isolated

What impact did the theory of universal grammar have on the study of languages?

• It limited the study to only a few languages

• It prompted the documentation of many previously unstudied languages

• It confirmed that all languages are the same

• It discouraged further linguistic research