Re: First language acquisition


noesy_parker wrote:
"Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:1158150326.574752.189950@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:

A human cannot learn
vocabulary without grammar, or vice versa.

Where is the grammar in a baby's "dada" or "mama"?

For how many days (or hours) is a baby's (other than Maggie Simpson)
speech limited to single-word utterances?

The first time baby utters "dada" or "mama," is it uttering a word, or
did it happen to babble a sequence of syllables that provoked an
adoring reaction in the hearer, i.e. a very basic Skinnerian
interaction, very soon transcended by the actual operation of the LAD
(whatever that may be)?

I'm questioning your statement - "A human cannot learn vocabulary without
grammar, or vice versa." The baby may just be imitating what a parent is
saying (for example when a mother goes "dada", "goo goo", "mama" to the
baby), but the baby will soon associate certain words with particular
objects. Whatever that the baby says at this stage, there is no grammar
involved. How often have you watched a baby interacting with its parents?

Not at all. I do, however, believe the linguists who have recorded
their babies' every utterance and described the earliest stages of
language acquisition, around the world. If they say a rudimentary
grammar is in operation from the very first utterances, I tend to
believe their testimony.

What is your evidence for "absence of grammar"?

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: First language acquisition
    ... vocabulary without grammar, or vice versa. ... The baby may just be imitating what a parent is ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: First language acquisition
    ... I do, however, believe the linguists who have recorded ... grammar is in operation from the very first utterances, ... Only from observations of babies talking. ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: First language acquisition
    ... vocabulary without grammar, or vice versa. ... For how many days is a baby's (other than Maggie Simpson) ... i.e. a very basic Skinnerian ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: First language acquisition
    ... language acquisition, around the world. ... grammar is in operation from the very first utterances, ... when they say "from the very first utterances", ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: When to use ITALICS and/or BOLD (and/or CAPITALS)? - What is
    ... This is a "category mistake:" grammar has nothing ... to do with typography and vice versa. ... And what about CAPITALS ... things pretty much technically correct. ...
    (alt.usage.english)