Date: Sep 1, 2010; Section: EL TEACHING MATTERS; Page: 15

Is the theory of universal grammar all just hot

air?
Universal grammar (UG) is under debate after recent research that could potentially overturn the theory put
forward by Noam Chomsky, which has enjoyed popularity for almost half a century, writes Jennie Clark.
UG is the theory that all languages have common rules. But exceptions have cropped up such as to the
notion that every language has four word classes: nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. Several have been
shown to lack an open adverb class, for instance.
The research, examined in New Scientist, was by Professor Nicholas Evans of the Australian National
University and Dr Stephen Levinson of the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics. Evans says similarities
between languages arent the result of universals, but of standard engineering solutions that languages adopt
again and again. Variations occur because each language is shaped by cultural and other factors. The
researchers believe in tendencies that explain why languages have common patterns factors such as brain
structure and communication efficiencies.
While such tendencies push similarities, effects such as the natural history of a population help explain
diversity. Indigenous Australians, for example, seem to have the worlds highest rate of chronic middle-ear
infections. Most indigenous Australian languages lack tones that are difficult to hear with these infections, but
which are common in other tongues. Did that influence the development of this language group? Evans says its
worth considering.
Diversity sets us apart from other animals. Some primates and songbirds have different learned expressions
between populations, but these are nowhere near as diverse as human languages. Dr Levinson says speakers of
very different languages could even have different brains. He believes babies have brains like blank slates,
coming without any pre-programmed rules, and that the brain develops due to outside influences.
This research has caused Levinson and Evans to examine dogmas such as ease of learning being equal for all
children. Again, there are exceptions to this rule: the Gazette has heard that the popularity of Japanese adult
manga comics reflects the fact that readers are still mastering the languages 100,000 characters in their late
teens, while a Turkish teacher told us that Turks approaching puberty still grapple over tricky relative clauses
(who, what, which) in their otherwise regular language.
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