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Usenet Posted 23 years ago
Usage
Chomsky, Grammar and the Child
I have been following my grandson's linguistic process with interest, especially insofar as it relates to the question of 'innate grammar'. He is
4 now (my grandson, not Mr Chomsky) and his latest occurred after a visit toour revamped Co-op Supermarket. They have 'Self Scan' tills where you bip your stuff through the barcode and make your payment all without another human presence.
Invited to tell me about it, he offered 'We went to a till with no Lady at'
John Dean
Oxford
De-frag to reply
4 now (my grandson, not Mr Chomsky) and his latest occurred after a visit toour revamped Co-op Supermarket. They have 'Self Scan' tills where you bip your stuff through the barcode and make your payment all without another human presence.
Invited to tell me about it, he offered 'We went to a till with no Lady at'
John Dean
Oxford
De-frag to reply
Top answer
[nq:1]I have been following my grandson's linguistic process with interest, especially insofar as it relates to the question of 'innate ... another human presence. Invited to tell me about it, he offered 'We went to a till with no Lady at'[/nq] Nice.
- [nq:1]I have been following my grandson's linguistic process with interest, especially insofar as it relates to the question of 'innate ...
- another human presence.
- Invited to tell me about it, he offered 'We went to a till with no Lady at'[/nq] Nice.
- Why shouldn't the 'it' be deleted?
- After all, he'd just said 'till'; there was no chance of confusion.
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51 Answers
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[nq:1]I have been following my grandson's linguistic process with interest, especially insofar as it relates to the question of 'innate ... another human presence. Invited to tell me about it, he offered 'We went to a till with no Lady at'[/nq]
Nice.
Why shouldn't the 'it' be deleted?
After all, he'd just said 'till'; there was no chance of confusion. Well done.
And consider
Nice.
Why shouldn't the 'it' be deleted?
After all, he'd just said 'till'; there was no chance of confusion. Well done.
And consider
00
[nq:2]Invited to tell me about it, he offered 'We went to a till with no Lady at'[/nq]
[nq:1]Nice. Why shouldn't the 'it' be deleted? John, was he a bottom-up or a top-down learner in his first year or so?[/nq]
I blush to admit I don't know what 'top down' and 'bottom up' mean in this context
John 'unlike at the disco ...' Dean
Oxford
De-frag to reply
[nq:1]Nice. Why shouldn't the 'it' be deleted? John, was he a bottom-up or a top-down learner in his first year or so?[/nq]
I blush to admit I don't know what 'top down' and 'bottom up' mean in this context
John 'unlike at the disco ...' Dean
Oxford
De-frag to reply
00
[nq:2]Nice. Why shouldn't the 'it' be deleted? John, was he a bottom-up or a top-down learner in his first year or so?[/nq]
[nq:1]I blush to admit I don't know what 'top down' and 'bottom up' mean in this context[/nq]
I you find out, tell me.
[nq:1]I blush to admit I don't know what 'top down' and 'bottom up' mean in this context[/nq]
I you find out, tell me.
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[nq:2]Nice. Why shouldn't the 'it' be deleted? John, was he a bottom-up or a top-down learner in his first year or so?[/nq]
[nq:1]I blush to admit I don't know what 'top down' and 'bottom up' mean in this context[/nq]
Basically a difference in language learning strategy.
What you'll usually find in the books is the "bottom-up" strategy, like the one my daughter used. The ki
[nq:1]I blush to admit I don't know what 'top down' and 'bottom up' mean in this context[/nq]
Basically a difference in language learning strategy.
What you'll usually find in the books is the "bottom-up" strategy, like the one my daughter used. The ki
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[nq:2]I blush to admit I don't know what 'top down' and 'bottom up' mean in this context[/nq]
[nq:1]Basically a difference in language learning strategy. What you'll usually find in the books is the "bottom-up" strategy, like the ... then stop talking, then start over later with a "top-down" strategy. It's all over by the time they're three, normally[/nq]
That's clear enough, but "learner"
[nq:1]Basically a difference in language learning strategy. What you'll usually find in the books is the "bottom-up" strategy, like the ... then stop talking, then start over later with a "top-down" strategy. It's all over by the time they're three, normally[/nq]
That's clear enough, but "learner"
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[nq:2]I blush to admit I don't know what 'top down' and 'bottom up' mean in this context[/nq]
[nq:1]Basically a difference in language learning strategy. What you'll usually find in the books is the "bottom-up" strategy, like the ... then stop talking, then start over later with a "top-down" strategy. It's all over by the time they're three, normally[/nq]
This difference might explain why
[nq:1]Basically a difference in language learning strategy. What you'll usually find in the books is the "bottom-up" strategy, like the ... then stop talking, then start over later with a "top-down" strategy. It's all over by the time they're three, normally[/nq]
This difference might explain why
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[nq:2]Basically a difference in language learning strategy. What you'll usually ... strategy. It's all over by the time they're three, normally[/nq]
[nq:1]That's clear enough, but "learner" confused me. It implied that the child was being taught in one of the two categories. Evidently, there's no teaching involved and the categories are types of development.[/nq]
Teaching isn't necessary f
[nq:1]That's clear enough, but "learner" confused me. It implied that the child was being taught in one of the two categories. Evidently, there's no teaching involved and the categories are types of development.[/nq]
Teaching isn't necessary f
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[nq:1]This difference might explain why we can remember our daughter's first word (keys) and not our son's. He seemed to ... who begin to talk quite late and then speak whole sentences? I know of two examples. Where do they fit?[/nq]
Oh, they were probably just bored and didn't have much to say until that fateful day when they decided to let you know how they felt in no uncertain terms.
Oh, they were probably just bored and didn't have much to say until that fateful day when they decided to let you know how they felt in no uncertain terms.
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[nq:1]That's clear enough, but "learner" confused me. It implied that the child was being taught in one of the two categories.[/nq]
No it doesn't. Teaching has nothing to do with it. The English words for people who are being taught are "pupil" and "student"; "learner" just means somebody who learns. These are totally independent concepts, as the educational system demonstrates daily.
[nq:
No it doesn't. Teaching has nothing to do with it. The English words for people who are being taught are "pupil" and "student"; "learner" just means somebody who learns. These are totally independent concepts, as the educational system demonstrates daily.
[nq:
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[nq:1]This difference might explain why we can remember our daughter's first word (keys) and not our son's. He seemed to ... who begin to talk quite late and then speak whole sentences? I know of two examples. Where do they fit?[/nq]
They don't advertise their strategy; it's all internal. Nobody knows, frankly; there's almost no research done on that.
-John Lawler
They don't advertise their strategy; it's all internal. Nobody knows, frankly; there's almost no research done on that.
-John Lawler
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