What do children know of grammar? According to this article, perhaps more than you think.
It talks about innate knowledge of nouns and verbs by the time a child turns two. There is a brain response to incorrectly using the nouns and verbs.
Of course they’re not sure what this will mean for language learning yet, but the implications could be interesting. It also says the toddlers aren’t capable of using the words correctly as they know they’re supposed to be used. What if that isn’t true?
I suppose it will take more research to figure that out.
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Jamie said,
7 July 2009 at 05:58
If this is the case, how come they always interview people on the news with a blatant lack of grammar? “I done seen that guy come from da store. He wuz wavin’ his gun ’round in the air and hootin’ n hollerin’. I dove under my pick-up truck jus’ hopin’ he woundn’t seen me already.’
I swear, I have actually heard this before.
ransomnoble said,
7 July 2009 at 06:08
It’s learned behavior. Plus, the study was using a case of ‘strawberry’ as a verb. Something very far out there.