Universal Grammar in Linguistic Research: A Review of Its Development, Language Acquisition, and Theoretical Debates
Abstract
reviews the historical development, theoretical basis and contemporary debates of UG, with particular attention to its role in language acquisition and second language acquisition. Through the study of the philosophical origin of UG, the a priori hypothesis, the availability of UG
principles, and the criticism of its universality and explanatory power, this review not only points out the lasting theoretical contribution of the
framework, but also points out the limitations of the framework. The analysis shows that although UG provides an influential explanation for
the relationship between language, cognition and human biological ability, empirical evidence on its innate basis and explanatory adequacy is
still controversial. Future research can combine cross-linguistic evidence with cognitive science, neuroscience, and use-based methods.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.70711/wef.v4i6.10209
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