Universal Grammar

Implications of Universal Grammar for Second Language Learning

What is Universal Grammar

Universal Grammar (UG), a theory by Noam Chomsky, proposes that humans have an innate biological component of the language faculty that facilitates learning human languages. According to Chomsky, there are universal principles and parameters that constrain the variation among languages, and children use these innate constraints to acquire their native language from a limited and often imperfect input. The different models of UG try to account for how UG works, what it contains, and how it interacts with other factors that influence language acquisition and learning, such as input, the native language, and performance.

The Principles and Parameters Model. This model assumes that UG consists of universal principles that apply to all languages and parameters that can vary across languages. For example, one principle is that every sentence must have a subject, and one parameter is whether the subject can be omitted. The model also assumes that learners can acquire the parameters of their target language based on positive evidence from the input.

The Minimalist Program. This model assumes that UG consists of minimal and optimal conditions for generating and interpreting linguistic expressions. For example, one condition is that every element must have a function, and another is that every expression must be as simple as possible. The model also assumes that learners can acquire the optimal expressions of their target language based on positive evidence from the input.

The Generative Grammar Model. This model assumes that UG consists of a set of rules and representations that generate and relate different levels of linguistic structure, such as sound, meaning, and logical form. For example, one rule is that verbs must agree with their subjects in number and person, and one representation is the tree diagram that shows the hierarchical structure of a sentence. The model also assumes that learners can acquire the rules and representations of their target language based on positive and negative evidence from the input.

These models differ in their predictions about how learners acquire and use the target language and how they explain various phenomena, such as universality, convergence, or poverty of the stimulus. They also have different implications for language teaching and assessment.

UG Implications for Second Language Learning

One of the main implications of UG theory for second language learning is that it provides a framework for explaining why some aspects of a second language are easier or harder to acquire than others. For example, UG theory predicts that learners will have more difficulty with features that vary across languages (parameters) than with features that are universal across languages (principles). UG theory also predicts that learners will have more difficulty with features not present or salient in their first language than with features similar to or transferable from their first language. To illustrate this point, let us consider verb movement, a parameter that differs between English and French. In English, verbs do not move to the beginning of the sentence in questions or negations, but in French, they do. A learner whose first language is English would have to learn that verbs move in French, whereas a learner whose first language is French would not have to learn anything new about verb movement in English. Therefore, UG theory would predict that the English learner would have more difficulty with verb movement than the French learner.

Another implication of UG theory for second language learning is that it suggests a limit to how much learners can rely on explicit instruction or feedback to acquire a second language. UG theory assumes learners can access internal grammar that guides their hypotheses and judgments about the second language. External factors only partially modify this internal grammar. Therefore, UG theory implies that learners need sufficient natural exposure to the second language input to activate and adjust their internal grammar. However, instruction or feedback is valuable and beneficial for second language learning. Instead, instruction or feedback should be compatible with the learner's internal grammar. It should provide cues or triggers for the learner to notice and process the relevant features of the second language. For instance, instruction or feedback could help the learner focus on the form and meaning of a grammatical structure, compare and contrast different structures, or practice and produce the structure in meaningful contexts.

A third implication of UG theory for second language learning is that it raises the question of whether there is a critical period for acquiring a second language similar to the one proposed for acquiring a first language. The UG theory suggests that the ability to acquire a language depends on the brain's maturation. After a certain age, the brain loses its plasticity and becomes less sensitive to linguistic input. This would mean that learners who start learning a second language after the critical period face more challenges and limitations than learners who start learning before the critical period. However, this does not mean that learners who start learning after the critical period are doomed to failure or cannot achieve high proficiency levels in the second language. Instead, it means that learners who start learning after the critical period may have to rely more on other strategies or resources to compensate for the reduced sensitivity of their brain, such as explicit learning, metalinguistic awareness, motivation, or social interaction.

In conclusion, UG theory has important implications for second language learning, as it provides a way of understanding the sources of variation and difficulty in second language acquisition, the role of input and instruction in second language learning, and the effects of age on second language learning. However, UG theory is not without its challenges and controversies, as there is still debate about the nature and evidence of UG, the extent and validity of its application to second language learning, and the interaction between UG and other factors such as motivation, aptitude, and social context.

Alternatively, you may find the following video on Universal Grammar useful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLNFGWJOXjA