Resource Index
Question 85: Noam Chomsky is known for his
Answer: 1. Generative grammar
Noam Chomsky is famously known for developing Generative grammar, specifically transformational grammar, in the mid-1950s.(Asked in Exam)
Generative grammar refers to a precisely formulated set of rules that generate all and only the sentences of a language.
Other Explanations in Linguistics
Glossematics: A structuralist linguistic theory proposed by Louis Hjelmslev and Hans Jørgen Uldall that introduced a mathematical methodology for language analysis.
Linguistic Determinism: The strong version of linguistic relativity (Sapir-Whorf hypothesis), which posits that a language and its structures limit and determine human knowledge, thought, and cognitive processes.
Grammar Translation Method: An older approach to teaching foreign languages where students learn grammatical rules and translate sentences between the target language and their native language.
Question 86: Which among the following is true about corpus Linguistics?
A. It is a collection of naturally occurring spoken and written texts.
B. It has ensured the supremacy of speech over writing.
C. It is about the teaching of linguistics at the school level.
D. It is a methodology that involves computer-based empirical analysis of language use.
E. It is a branch of linguistics that is purely based on Chomskyan linguistics.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer: 3. A and D
Corpus linguistics relies on a collection of naturally occurring spoken/written texts (A) and uses a methodology involving computer-based empirical analysis of language use (D).(Asked in Exam)
Corpus linguistics focuses on analysing a language based on its text corpus, which refers to a collection of authentic texts in that language. By examining these real-world texts, corpus linguistics aims to provide a more reliable understanding of a language's characteristics, without excessive experimental interference. Initially, corpora were manually derived, but with advancements in technology, the process has become automated (computer-based).
Question 87: The full form of MLAT is
Answer: 3. Modern Language Aptitude Test
The full form of MLAT is Modern Language Aptitude Test.(Asked in Exam)
It was designed to predict a student's likelihood of success and ease in learning a foreign language. It is published by the Language Learning and Testing Foundation to measure foreign language learning aptitude.
Question 88: Who among the following argued that children learn language based on behaviourist reinforcement principles by associating words with meaning?
Answer: 2. B. F. Skinner
B. F. Skinner argued that children learn language based on behaviourist reinforcement principles.(Asked in Exam)
Reinforcement, a key concept of behaviourism, is the primary process that shapes and controls behaviour and occurs in two ways: positive and negative. In The Behavior of Organisms (1938), Skinner laid out these principles.
The Chomsky Critique & Other Theorists
Noam Chomsky: In 1959, Chomsky published a devastating review of Skinner's Verbal Behaviour. Chomsky argued that conditioned responses could not account for a child's ability to create or understand an infinite variety of novel sentences. This review launched the cognitive revolution.
Stephen Krashen: Known for language acquisition theories, stating learners acquire language when exposed to "comprehensible input" (i+1), and noting the impact of emotions (affective filter).
Active Recall Zone
Solidify your knowledge from the Language & Linguistics section (Q85-Q88):
- What does MLAT stand for in language testing?
(Modern Language Aptitude Test) - Which linguist launched the cognitive revolution by critiquing B.F. Skinner's behaviourist model of language?
(Noam Chomsky) - Which linguistic methodology relies on computer-based empirical analysis of authentic texts?
(Corpus Linguistics) - Who proposed that children learn language through positive and negative reinforcement?
(B.F. Skinner)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Generative Grammar?
Developed by Noam Chomsky in the 1950s, generative grammar is a precisely formulated set of rules that can generate all—and only—the grammatically correct sentences within a language.
What is Linguistic Determinism?
Also known as the strong version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, linguistic determinism argues that the structure of an individual's native language fundamentally limits and determines their thought processes and cognitive categorization.
