Transcript Fundamentals: Linguistic principles

Fundamentals: Linguistic
principles
Grammatical features of all languages
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Initially we need a definition of grammar.
Based on our thinking about the comparable
structures of two kinds of creole (English and
French) we can make a pretty good start.
What is grammar?
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I’ll start, you finish.
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A system of rules based on patterns.
Structures that a predictable, that contain
patterns, that convey meaning in a consistent
way.
What should we add?
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According to the text, grammatical
features consist of
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Patterning
Morphology
Phrase structures
Linguistic productivity
The importance of patterning
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We have to connect this to our need for
predictability.
Without consistent and reliable forms, the
ability to use language to share meaning
would be impossible.
How many kinds of patterns then are we
really talking about?
Fundamental patterns
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This was in a way Chomsky’s starting point.
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Word order
Negation
Modality
Mood
Number and plurality
Agency
Action
A number of other logical strategies are needed and must
be available as predictable forms, patterns.
Morphological regularity
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As reading specialists you can do a better
job of defining what this is and why it is
important.
Let’s go back to the example of Haitian
Creole
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Li mache
(il marche)
Li te mache
(il y’a marche)
Li t’ap mache (l y’avait marche)
Linguistic productivity
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Another consideration of Chomsky in the
early stages of theory development was the
observation that an infinite number of
sentences are possible in any language.
Yet there are not an infinite number of rules.
The combinatorial ability of language users
leads to linguistic productivity.
More
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Hence, Chomsky argued:
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Language is creative
Language is rule governed
Rules make meaning possible (intelligibility)
A small number of rules produce an infinite number of
sentences, or language productions
A weak theory of linguistic adequacy is more probable than
a strong theory
Language rules are innate and language is
underdetermined in order to explain its infinite yet
meaningful forms
American Sign Language
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What lessons have we learned about the reality of
ASL (understanding and use)?
Iconicity has declined over 200 years, indicating that
as a language form it is created by its users.
What do they use to create it?
Compare this to Bikerton’s observation that we can
actually track the development and change in
Creoles worldwide.
ASL provides additional interesting
questions
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Are there differences in spoken versus
signed languages that tell us more about the
nature of language itself?
What does the role of the environment
appear to be?
How does ASL reinforce Chomsky’s view?
How does ASL contradict it?
Transformational Grammar TG
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Chomsky actually modified his theory several times
before he got to the theory of transformational
grammar.
He started out with a theory of a language base that
contained kernel grammars.
His students challenged him over and over again to
account for the role of phonology and meaning
(semantics). H
He eventually crafted the TG model in response to
their concerns.
Evolution of models
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A base structure contains linguistic rules
that are universal and are used to generate
an infinite number of sentences that are
meaningful.
Any observable differences in the realm of
sound, word use, skill or number of
grammatical features is relegated to
surface structure.
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Surface structure will always show individual and
group differences.
It can be used as data to make inferences about the
inner state of linguistic competence
It is unsuitable for a theory of language because it is
generally undependable, patterns are not consistent.
Surface structure must be understood as
performance not competence.
Accounting for sound and meaning
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To make a long story short, Chomsky was
willing to concede that both phonology and
semantics are additional sources of rules that
might belong in the deep structure.
So the deep structure would have to
welcome new neighbors or change in a
dramatic way.
What happened next
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Chomsky allowed only syntax in the deep structure,
but distinguished syntax from “grammar”.
He considered it likely that there were also
phonological and semantic grammars, but would not
admit them to the deep structure.
Instead he defined their role in terms of translation
rules that translated syntax into recognizable surface
forms, because of the phonological and semantic
adaptations that would have to occur.
Now what was on the surface?
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Only spoken language was on the surface.
It was generated by the interaction of deep
structures and translation rules.
In other words, you had cognitive
competence to understand and use rules
governing sound and meaning.
But it was unclear how much was learned
from the environment per se.
Transformational grammar
In any war between the old and the young, the young will win.
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Finally Chomsky’s theory become more complex.
A variety of subsystems for generating and
comprehending language were described as working
from the deep structure.
Chomsky’s theory now was an overdetermined one.
His students won.
They changed the dialog to a discussion of
semantics and put semantics in the deep structure
How much is learned? how much is
innate?
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The research of the ’60’s and ’70’s turned with relish
to this question. Research began to look at
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The early language of children of parents who were nonnative speakers of English
Longitudinal grammars of children and their speech in
structured and unstructured contexts
The early language of children of deaf parents, and of deaf
children with hearing parents
The early language of children of parents who were
deficient as models of adult speech
One last note.
Lexical functional grammar
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This is more than an esoteric point
Bresnan and Jackendorff are responsible for shifting
focus to a deep structure that contains a lexicon
rather than a syntactic base
The lexicon contains not only words
It contains logical rules for manipulating these words
Why is this important?