According to Chomsky's theory, what biological faculty enables human infants to acquire language?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. An innate, genetically determined Language Acquisition Device (LAD)
- Step 1: The text explicitly refers to: 'an innate, genetically determined Language Acquisition Device (LAD) comprising abstract syntactic principles common to all natural human idioms.'
- Step 2: The LAD provides pre-wired structural constraints.
Answer
An innate, genetically determined Language Acquisition Device (LAD).
Why not the others: 'An artificially implanted digital translation transducer' is science fiction; 'A purely associative visual mimicry pathway...' reflects radical behaviorism, which Chomsky refuted; 'A conscious desire to engage in commercial transactions' is irrelevant.
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