What Evidence from the Observation of Language Development in Children

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The Answer is The linguistic (nativist) theory of language acquisition suggests that humans are born with an innate ability to acquire language. One piece of evidence that supports this theory is the phenomenon of universal grammar. Children all over the world, regardless of their native language, go through similar stages of language development. This suggests that there is a universal set of linguistic principles that children are born with, which guide their language acquisition.

Additionally, children seem to have an innate understanding of grammar rules, such as the ability to form complex sentences and understand syntactic structures, even before they receive formal instruction. This suggests that there is a biological basis for language acquisition, as opposed to solely relying on environmental input.

Furthermore, children who are exposed to limited or impoverished language input still develop language skills, albeit at a slower pace. This suggests that there is an innate language acquisition device that allows children to acquire language even in less than ideal linguistic environments.

Overall, the observation of language development in children provides evidence that supports the linguistic (nativist) theory of language acquisition, as it suggests that there is a biological basis for language acquisition and that children are born with innate linguistic abilities.

What Evidence from the Observation of Language Development in Children

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