Concordia University

• LING 222

• MOHAWK ARTICLE Jackendoff’s first fundamental argument has to do with internalism, it argues that some aspects of language imply rules or patterns encompassed into Mental Grammar which consists of “unconscious grammatical principles”. Jackendoff proceeds to further explore the existence of Mental Grammar by demonstrating that there are infinite ways of expressing thoughts and ideas through language. In fact, there is an unending variety of sentences that can be formed in any possible human language, because of our ability, as a species, to store words and rules (ie. syntax). Nature/nurture duality is also spoken of in Jackendoff’s reading, where a close connection to I-language can be made (the “I” stands for internal, individual, intentional language). I-language promotes the idea that language is acquired through the experience of a speaker (nurture), but also claims that this speak