Wexler K
Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139.
Dev Psychobiol. 1990 Nov;23(7):645-60. doi: 10.1002/dev.420230708.
Language is species-specific, species-wide, and highly structured. Its principles (Universal Grammar) are innate (genetically determined) in the child, although some linguistic capacity is subject to a maturational schedule, examples of which are given. Some particular aspects of language are learned, in a way driven by Universal Grammar. However, empiricist "learning theories" of all types are far too weak to be useful in explaining either the final adult language or the precise timing of developmental processes. The assumption of Universal Grammar is, in fact, crucial in explaining what kind of learning actually takes place.
语言具有物种特异性、全物种性且结构高度复杂。其原则（普遍语法）在儿童中是天生的（由基因决定），尽管某些语言能力遵循成熟时间表，并给出了相关示例。语言的某些特定方面是通过一种由普遍语法驱动的方式习得的。然而，所有类型的经验主义“学习理论”都太过薄弱，无法有效解释最终的成人语言或发育过程的精确时间。事实上，普遍语法的假设对于解释实际发生的学习类型至关重要。
