Principles and parameters
In UG principles and parameters can be defined as
a framework in hunan brain and help the acquisition of the L1.According to UG a
finite set of fundamental principles are common to all languages; e.g., that a
sentence must always have a subject, even if it is not overtly pronounced. The
principles are unchanging regardless of the actual language involved. These
principles form part of the language faculty of the mind-UG.The claim is that
it is impossible for a human mind to know a language without knowing these principles,
since they are already present inside it.
UG explains the variation between languages
through parameters.According to Chomsky a finite set of parameters determines
syntactic variability amongst languages; e.g., a binary parameter that
determines whether or not the subject of a sentence must be overtly pronounced.
Languages can only vary within pre-set limits for a particular parameter.The
parameter itself is universal but the values it may take vary from one language
to another. For example any language a human being knows must ,among other
things be either pro-drop or non-pro-drop.So,all languages must have a setting
for each of the parameters affecting word order and must have one of possible
settings for the governing category parameter of Binding Theory. The language
knowledge of human minds takes the form of universal principles and variable
parameters of ,whatever the language they have learnt.So,UG holds a set of
principles and parameters arranged into modules such as Binding Theory and it
is a computation system that ranges from the component of Phonological Form to
the component of Logical Form ,that is ,from ’sound’ to ’meaning’.
As such, principles and parameters do not need to
be learned by exposure to language. Rather, exposure to language merely
triggers the parameters to adopt the correct setting.
