Origins of Transformational Generative Grammar: The Behaviorist Attitude

Origins of Transformational Generative Grammar

Introduction

From the late 1950s onwards, structural linguistics has sometimes been used with less popularity because supporters of generative linguistics initiated by Noam Chomsky have regarded the work of American structuralists as too limited in conception. They have argued that it is essential to go further than the position of items to produce a grammar which reflects a native speaker’s knowledge of language.

2. Criticism of Structuralism

2.3. The Behaviorist Attitude

Bloomfieldians were influenced by behaviourism. Behaviourism is a psychological theory of learning which takes into account only visible facts, excluding concepts like “mind”, “ideas” and so on. For behaviourists, learning a language is similar to learning any other behaviour (to walk, to eat, to write . . .). It is a mechanical process based on habit formation. Learning is controlled by an external factor (a stimulus) which produces a response. This response is learnt when it is repeated and positively reinforced. This process is called conditioning. Language is learnt just by imitation of previously heard language, and the learner is passive when doing this. Chomsky had been the opponent of behaviourism. He tried to show the unproductiveness of this view and the inappropriateness of its terminology to the acquisition and use of human language.