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Multilingualism and Chomsky’s Generative Grammar

Kupisch, Tanja LU ; Pereira Soares, Sergio Miguel ; Puig-Mayenco, Eloi and Rothman, Jason (2021) p.232-242
Abstract
Like Einstein's general theory of relativity is concerned with explaining the basics of an observable experience – i.e., gravity – most people take for granted that Chomsky's theory of generative grammar (GG) is concerned with the basic nature of language. This chapter highlights a mere subset of central constructs in GG, showing how they have featured prominently and thus shaped formal linguistic studies in multilingualism. Because multilingualism includes a wide range of nonmonolingual populations, the constructs are divided across child bilingualism and adult third language for greater coverage. In the case of the former, the chapter examines how poverty of the stimulus has been investigated. Using the nascent field of L3/Ln acquisition... (More)
Like Einstein's general theory of relativity is concerned with explaining the basics of an observable experience – i.e., gravity – most people take for granted that Chomsky's theory of generative grammar (GG) is concerned with the basic nature of language. This chapter highlights a mere subset of central constructs in GG, showing how they have featured prominently and thus shaped formal linguistic studies in multilingualism. Because multilingualism includes a wide range of nonmonolingual populations, the constructs are divided across child bilingualism and adult third language for greater coverage. In the case of the former, the chapter examines how poverty of the stimulus has been investigated. Using the nascent field of L3/Ln acquisition as the backdrop, it discusses how the GG constructs of I-language versus E-language sit at the core of debates regarding the very notion of what linguistic transfer and mental representations should be taken to be. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
multilingualism, Chomsky, generative grammar, third language, I-language
host publication
Blackwell Companion to Chomsky
editor
Allot, Nicolas ; Lohndal, Terje and Rey, Geroges
pages
232 - 242
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • scopus:85148069029
DOI
10.1002/9781119598732.ch15
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
7db5de4d-1a49-49f1-b90c-1ba5021c6c8e
date added to LUP
2024-12-22 17:12:04
date last changed
2025-04-04 15:07:22
@inbook{7db5de4d-1a49-49f1-b90c-1ba5021c6c8e,
  abstract     = {{Like Einstein's general theory of relativity is concerned with explaining the basics of an observable experience – i.e., gravity – most people take for granted that Chomsky's theory of generative grammar (GG) is concerned with the basic nature of language. This chapter highlights a mere subset of central constructs in GG, showing how they have featured prominently and thus shaped formal linguistic studies in multilingualism. Because multilingualism includes a wide range of nonmonolingual populations, the constructs are divided across child bilingualism and adult third language for greater coverage. In the case of the former, the chapter examines how poverty of the stimulus has been investigated. Using the nascent field of L3/Ln acquisition as the backdrop, it discusses how the GG constructs of I-language versus E-language sit at the core of debates regarding the very notion of what linguistic transfer and mental representations should be taken to be.}},
  author       = {{Kupisch, Tanja and Pereira Soares, Sergio Miguel and Puig-Mayenco, Eloi and Rothman, Jason}},
  booktitle    = {{Blackwell Companion to Chomsky}},
  editor       = {{Allot, Nicolas and Lohndal, Terje and Rey, Geroges}},
  keywords     = {{multilingualism; Chomsky; generative grammar; third language; I-language}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{232--242}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  title        = {{Multilingualism and Chomsky’s Generative Grammar}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781119598732.ch15}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/9781119598732.ch15}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}