Abstract
The motivations for the claim that language is innate are, for many, quite straightforward. The innateness of language is seen as the only way to solve the so-called 'logical problem of language acquisition': the mismatch between linguistic input and linguistic output. In this paper, I begin by unravelling several strands of the nativist argument, offering replies as I go along. I then give an outline of Wittgenstein's view of language acquisition, showing how it renders otiose problems posed by nativists like Chomsky – not least by means of Wittgenstein's own brand of grammar which, unlike Chomsky's, does not reside in the brain, but in our practices.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | A Companion to Wittgenstein on Education: |
| Subtitle of host publication | Pedagogical Investigations |
| Editors | M.A. Peters, J. Stickney |
| Place of Publication | Singapore |
| Publisher | Springer Nature Link |
| Edition | 1 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-981-10-3136-6 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-981-10-3134-2 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2017 |
Keywords
- Wittgenstein
- Chomsky
- language acquisitition
- nativism
- training
- universal grammar