乔姆斯基普遍语法理论的再思考——评《科学美国人》所刊两篇文章引发的争论  

Rethinking Chomsky's Universal Grammar——Comments on the debate triggered by the two articles from Scientific American

作　　者：金辉[1,2] 

机构地区：[1]北京外国语大学英语学院,北京100089 [2]中国科学院大学外语系,北京100049

出　　处：《西安外国语大学学报》2018年第3期24-28,共5页Journal of Xi’an International Studies University

摘　　要：自乔姆斯基的普遍语法理论诞生以来,赞誉和诋毁就从未停止过。2016年,刊登在《科学美国人》(Scientific American)上的两篇文章再次聚焦这一理论。先是Ibbotson&Tomasello发文称,大量最新研究表明该理论无法解释儿童语言学习过程。Jeffrey Lidz随即做出回应,称他们的误解源于对乔姆斯基理论的误读。本文认为,批评方列举的语言事实证明个别语言的个别语法现象无法纳入普遍语法的框架,撼动了普遍语法的普世性及其生物基础的论断;普遍语法无法对儿童语言学习过程中出现的系统性语误提供有力的解释;批评方基于儿童语法学习过程的论据辩驳乏力,无法重创普遍语法的重要论据——刺激贫乏论;Jeffrey Lidz全盘否定乔姆斯基理论为语言学习理论的论断无法终结此番争论。Since its birth,Chomsky＇s Universal Grammar has been bearing both repute and disrepute.In 2016,two articles from Scientific American again focused on his theory.Ibbotson Tomasello ignited the dispute,claiming that Chomsky＇s Universal Grammar could not expound children＇s language learning process.Jeffrey Lidz refuted that the disputers＇ misunderstandings were rooted in their misinterpretation of Chomsky＇s theory.Conclusions reached by this study include：the outliers in particular languages exemplified by Ibbotson Tomasello could hardly reconcile with Universal Grammar,thus to shake its common biological basis and universality;Universal Grammar lacks an explanatory power for the systematic errors in children＇s learning process;Ibbotson Tomasello＇s arguments are too vulnerable to overthrow the significant argument of Universal Grammar—Argument from the Poverty of the Stimulus;Jeffrey Lidz＇s wholesale denial of Chomsky＇s Universal Grammar as a language learning theory could hardly conclude this dispute.

关 键 词：普遍语法 儿童语言学习 个别语言 刺激贫乏论 

分 类 号：H030[语言文字—语言学]