According to Chomsky’s theory, what role does the Language Acquisition Device…
2026
According to Chomsky’s theory, what role does the Language Acquisition Device (LAD) play?
Answer: D. It provides an innate system that enables learners to form hypotheses about language rules. — ConceptIn Chomsky’s nativist account, human beings begin with an innate language faculty rather than a complete memorized language. This faculty constrains…
- A.
It stores all vocabulary and grammar rules that a child needs.
- B.
It helps learners imitate adult speech accurately.
- C.
It ensures that language learning happens only through formal instruction.
- D.
It provides an innate system that enables learners to form hypotheses about language rules.
Attempted by 3 students.
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Correct answer: D
Concept
In Chomsky’s nativist account, human beings begin with an innate language faculty rather than a complete memorized language.
This faculty constrains the possible grammars a learner considers and allows linguistic input to guide the formation of a language-specific grammar.
Application
The Language Acquisition Device therefore functions as an innate hypothesis-forming system: a child uses the language heard around them to infer grammatical patterns and rules.
Contrast
A fixed store of all vocabulary and grammar would imply that a complete language is already memorized, whereas the theory proposes an initial capacity that develops through exposure.
Imitation can reproduce heard expressions, but it does not by itself explain the production of new grammatical sentences.
Formal instruction is not required for ordinary first-language acquisition in this account.
Thus, the LAD is the innate system that enables learners to form hypotheses about language rules.