1. Innateness and Universal Grammar:
* Noam Chomsky's theory: Proposes that humans are born with an innate language faculty called Universal Grammar (UG), which contains a set of universal principles governing language structure.
* UG as a blueprint: This blueprint allows children to acquire their native language quickly and effortlessly, despite the vast complexity of language.
* Grammaticality as a result of UG: This theory suggests grammaticality arises from adherence to the rules and constraints imposed by UG.
2. Social and Cognitive Factors:
* Language Acquisition: Children learn language by interacting with their environment and observing how language is used.
* Usage-based theories: These theories emphasize the role of experience and the statistical regularities of language input in shaping grammatical knowledge.
* Cognitive processes: Grammaticality is also influenced by cognitive processes like working memory, attention, and reasoning, which enable us to process and understand language.
3. Linguistic Structure:
* Phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics: These levels of language structure contribute to grammaticality. For example, word order (syntax) and the meaning of words (semantics) play a crucial role.
* Rules and constraints: Languages have specific rules and constraints that govern how words are combined and sentences are constructed.
4. Context and Pragmatics:
* Contextual factors: The situation in which language is used can influence what is considered grammatical. For example, slang or informal language might be acceptable in casual settings but not in formal ones.
* Pragmatics: This branch of linguistics focuses on the study of language use in context. It considers how factors like speaker intention, social norms, and shared knowledge affect the interpretation and grammaticality of utterances.
5. Socially Constructed Norms:
* Language variation: Languages are constantly evolving, and different dialects and registers have their own grammatical norms.
* Prescriptivism vs. descriptivism: There is a long-standing debate about whether language should be regulated through prescriptive rules or simply described objectively.
In conclusion:
Grammaticality is a dynamic concept, influenced by a complex interplay of innate factors, cognitive processes, linguistic structures, contextual factors, and social norms. It's not a static set of rules but a constantly evolving system that reflects the way humans use and understand language.
It's important to remember:
* No single theory fully explains grammaticality.
* The concept of "correctness" is subjective and influenced by factors like social class, education, and cultural context.
* Grammaticality is a complex and fascinating area of study with ongoing research and debate.