Innate language?

Abstract

Chomsky's claims about our innate (syntactic) language faculty and chimpanzee linguistic abilities are examined in the light of constrainst imposed by natural selection and evolution. An alternative to his 'simple innatism' is proposed in which a child constructs language out of a minimal innate base via general cognitive processes. Finally, the implications of the alternatives for the relationship of language to other culturally shared cognitive systems and of linguistics to anthoropology are explored. © 1979 International Christian University Language Sciences Summer Institute. All rights reserved.