Are Humans Programmed For Language? | Ask a Linguist

Are we born with all of the abilities we need in order to a learn a language? Or is this a skill we learn as babies and young children? One of Babbel's linguists, Jennifer, weighs in on the debate and tells us about some of the studies that support these different theories.

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[BlueVisaOverseas]

“He who knows no foreign languages knows nothing of his own.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

[borisglb]

Thanks a lot for this video. I think that adult learns language incrementally. It's like developing photos on a photo paper in the previous century. The more you learn more you understand and more you can use. With the time your language becomes richer and more sophisticated. And I think it's not depend on the age.

[wholebitmedia]

Hey Jennifer, i think there are some reason that the Japanese students or infants seem to perform better. Even though language is a highly structured form of communication humans in my opinion have an instinctual predisposition to expect certain modes of operation as fullfillments to their basic needs. Just as animals know certain modes of behavior without being told, humans seem to have a certain mental capacity to identify non verbal and maybe even non present survival memes. When these needs aren't met or there is some type of interference, language ability could be damaged, perhaps in a lifelong manner.

[menotyou]

I really like this content. You helped nativism click in my brain finally. I would be neat to see this channel put out a video about constructed languages.

[thomaskember]

When I went to university to study a course on linguistics, I expected to be given examples of systems of communication that were not based on universal grammar. After all, when learning a concept, it’s good to be able to compare it with something that doesn’t follow that concept. After three years no such example was mentioned.
However, I can think of some items that might fit the bill such as mathematical notation and computer languages.
Some others which really are used for communication are systems of bidding in Bridge. Would it be possible to study these systems to show they don’t have a relationship to universal grammar?

[TronRider]

On TV I just saw a Babbel ad that was animated and said you can practice in 15 minutes a day. It uses phrases and increasingly longer sentences. Can you upload it to YouTube?

[greghawkins]

I've got some news for ya. There's no "L" sound in Japanese. Nor is there a "TH" or a "V" sound. "V" comes out "B", "TH" comes our "Z", & "V" becomes "B". There used to be a Japanese rock & roll group called "Judy & Mary". They had a song called "Lovely Baby". The only English words in the entire song were "Lovely & Baby". They sang along & their lead singer belted out "Robbery Baby". It made it sound like they were singing about knocking over a liquor store with a sawed off shotgun. I wonder if they ever realized that. It would've been embarrassing.

[genericusername]

Where's the actual science though.

[Harua]

Hi everyone. I think this is a good company because they do care about customers.

[jpyourpersonaltrainer]

Thanks “
Jennifer, you’re amazing.
🙂

[vrdacosta]

So tell me how, in practice, an adult can incrementally learn a language?👍🌹

[FefeBarber]

Kann mein Freund für euch bezahlte Werbung machen?

[wouldirun]

Why did you use a satanic term, "babbel"?