Linguistic Theory, Learnability, Mind and Computation

Abstract

We may now gear up for the last issue to be taken up in this book. It is the issue of learnability as it relates to explanatory adequacy which is what has driven much of the linguistic theorizing in the Generative tradition. So remaining silent on this issue may not be fair. Besides, the question of how UG determines the specification of a particular grammar of a specific language was raised in Chapter 3, but much has not been articulated with regard to the issue of language acquisition. This chapter will point out the connections between the emerging reconceptualization of the relationship between grammar, mind and computation, and issues of learnability. As we shall see, the questions of language acquisition can be further sharpened and refined within the new proposal. It will be argued that it is best to abandon the prevailing conception of the relation between grammar, mind and computation, if the question of how UG determines the specification of a particular grammar of a specific language needs to be addressed.