The Comparison and Contrast Between Chomsky Transformational-Generative Linguistics and Halliday Systemic Functional Linguistics

To account for the observed differences across languages in their grammatical structure, UG has incorporated into its structure a number of language- specific variations “which children have to learn as part of the task of acquiring their native language (Britton & Doake, 2005). Thus, language acquisition involves not only lexical learning but also some structural learning” (ibid, p.16)

Michael Alexander Kirkwood Halliday (often M. A. K. Halliday; born 13 April 1925) is a British-born Australian linguist who developed the internationally influential systemic functional linguistic model of language. His grammatical descriptions go by the name of systemic functional grammar (SFG).[1] Halliday describes language

Human beings and non-human beings communicate with each other with a code like system known as language. Language has 4 macro-functions to perform, i.e. ideational, interpersonal, textual and poetic. The systematic study of these functions and the understanding of the way the language is acquired and used in spoken and written text is known as Linguistics. Linguistics focuses mainly on the sound, syntactic and meaning level of a language under the names of Phonetics, Syntax and semantics/ Pragmatics as the core of Linguistics. Further, it is related to every field of life. Linguist started working on these fields of Linguistics and tried to implement them in the life. This became to be known as Applied Linguistics but in the beginning, it was more like Linguistics Applied, i.e. application of Linguistics.

Perhaps no one would have expected a 1956 work on the study of languages to end up one of the most influential ideas in computer science. The work was Three Models for the Description of Language by Noam Chomsky. In it, Chomsky outlines a hierarchy of grammars with each one more robust and powerful than the last. This was just the beginning of what is now called the generative approach to linguistics. The generative view is that a system of rules govern our abilities to produce grammatical sentences. If we can understand these rules, we can gain a rigorous approach to understanding the underlying structures of the world languages. By looking at Chomsky’s work we will see this scientific approach to the study of languages and learn about powerful grammars that all modern computer systems rely on.

In fact, despite their different methods, Husserl and Chomsky both agree that languages are organized by universal structural rules. Yet because Chomsky ties universal grammar to the existence of an innate language mechanism, his theory falls under the attack Hilary Putnam, who argues that grammar must be learned. Husserl offers an alternative to the contrast of grammar as universal or grammar as learned: as is clear especially from his work Experience and Judgment, he argues it is both. Husserl shows how grammar arises from experience, giving support that language is learned. Yet because of the very specific nature of this formation of grammar, particularly its origin in states of affairs, Husserl supports Chomsky’s claim that the structure of language is

He makes an important hypothesis that universal grammar (UG). UG is a characterization of these innate principle of language faculty, I-language. (5) He then postulates some detailed structure of UG. It is a system of conditions on grammars, constraints on the form and interpretation of grammar at all levels, from the deep structures of syntax, through the transformational component, to the rules that interpret syntactic structures semantically and phonetically. The study of linguistic universals, which is classified as formal or substantive, is the study of the properties of UG for a natural language. (6) Substantive universals concern the vocabulary for the description of language and a formal linguistic universal involve the character of the rules that appear in grammars and the ways in which they can be interconnected. Language-acquisition device uses primary linguistic data as the empirical basis for language learning to meet explanatory adequacy that is defined in UG, and to select one of the potential grammars, which is permitted by UG.

This book is divided into 2 parts, the functions of language and language and thought. The deepest debt of the author in this book is to the general semantics. It is designed to educate the reader using concepts that are first explained in straightforward terms

Chomsky’s theory of generative grammar emphasizes the importance of taking and storing of information, similar to the premise of the current continuous provision plan (Chomsky, 2000). In Chomsky’s theory of language and communication, to retain information and knowledge, there is need for previously stored knowledge to which newly inserted knowledge and information s added and linked (Chomsky,

The subtlety of language acquisition has been the most fundamental question in the study of linguistics and human development. From Bow-wow Theory to Yo-He-Ho Theory, major theories on the origins and learnability of language have emerged in mid-20th century and heavily debated ever since. Among them, the idea of universal grammar in which is usually credited to linguist Noam Chomsky, remains the most notable and controversial theory over time. He introduced and developed the theory from 1950s to 1970s, as he proposed and championed linguistic nativism in language acquisition. Chomsky supports that language mastery involves knowledge of linguistic rules and conventions, which he later named that as ‘cognizance’. He believes that cognizance

Proposed Universal Grammar: Idea of innate grammatical catergories, that facilitate the development of language in children.

Some linguistic models try to explain the development of second language acquisition. The three most common models are (1) the Universal Grammar Model, (2) the Competition Model, and (3) the Monitor Model. The Universal Grammar Model refers to the system of principles, conditions, and rules that are properties or elements of all human languages. At the same time, each language has grammatical rules that vary from one language to another. Thus, Chomky states that different languages have a limited possibility of different grammatical structures (1975). Therefore, second language learners base their second language acquisition on universal principles common to all languages, and on the force of the particular rules of each language. All of those can be concluded that as a human, especially as children, we have vary form of rules in language, in this case is second language.

It is not uncommon to say that grammar instruction plays an important role in language teaching. Regarding the status and importance of grammar teaching, a variety of opinions have been made. Batstone (1994) states that “language without grammar would be chaotic: countless words without the indispensable guidelines for how they can be ordered and modified” (p. 4). More vividly, Wang (2010) makes two similes. She compares grammar to the frame of a house, which is a decisive factor to ensure the solidness of it. Additionally, she regards grammar as a walking stick, whose function is to help and support students to learn English. Thus, the nature of grammar instruction manifests its own significance as it helps students

The linguists and teachers have interpreted CLT in different ways, because there is no single universal model of CLT. According to Littlewood, (1981, cited in Richard and Rodgers, 2015: 86) CLT pays systematic attention to the “functional as well as grammatical aspects of the language”. Wilkins (1972, cited in Richard and Rodgers, 2015:85) described ‘the system of meaning’ that serve the bases of communicative use of language, i.e. notional and functional categories. According to Hymes (1972, cited in Canale and Swain, 1980:1), it is competence ‘when to speak, when not, and as to what to talk about with whom, when, where, in what manner’. Thus the purpose of teaching is to develop communicative competence among the learners. Halliday (1970) also supports Hymes’ theory of communicative competence. In his theory of functions, Halliday, (1975, cited in Richard and Rodgers, 2015: 88) explains that communication competence is achieved by studying the ‘language in use’.

In this essay I will discuss the definition of the concept grammar in linguistic science and thee attitude teachers may have towards such a conceptualization of what grammar is. I will go into detail by explaining perspective and descriptive grammar.

Modern day linguistics has seen the arrival of many different viewpoints of language. Beginning with Noam Chomsky, unquestionably one of the most influential figures in recent linguistics, new theories and ideas have been introduced at a rapid rate. In part due to his status as a revitalizer in the field, but also due to his often controversial theories, Chomsky maintains a place at the center of this discussion. His search for a universal grammar and criticism of pure descriptivism have informed generations of research. Much of this has been reactionary against him, but his influence can not be discounted. His theories of a universal grammar have inspired writers on both sides of the debate. Paul Hopper argues against this view, positing