Essay - Cerebral Function: Language Processing This Paper Focuses on 'Optimality Theory'...

CEREBRAL FUNCTION: LANGUAGE PROCESSING

This paper focuses on 'optimality theory' of language acquisiti***** that seeks to explain how children learn their native *****s. It is interesting ***** this one cerebral function of language processing has puzzled scientists and linguists for centuries ***** yet no one has been able ***** explain just what it is that helps children in picking up the language spoken in their environment with so much ease. Optimality theory ***** yet another attempt at solving this puzzle.

CEREBRAL *****: LANGUAGE PROCESSING

One ***** the most important functions of the brain is ***** mastery of one's native language. Despite years of research, there ***** no ***** that scientists could regard as the perfect one. This is because every ***** being carried out in this particular area results in a different set of findings, which somehow negate or invalidate previous studies. One such new theory *****ing language mastery is known as optimality theory ***** w***** developed by Paul Smolensky, professor of cognitive science at The Johns Hopkins University, and Alan Prince, cognitive scient*****t at Rutgers University. They are ***** the vie***** that children are able to master ***** not only through observation but essentially because there have an innate ability to underst***** and grasp the complex instruction of languages. In other words, these cognitive ***** maintain that ***** ***** a language decoding system in their brain, which ***** them ***** ***** *****s with remarkable ease.

These two scientists have reached the conclusion ***** children are able to learn languages ***** of certain sounds that ***** attached ***** words ***** rules ***** grammar. These ***** are similar in the case of all ***** and this is the reason why children ***** able to learn the language ***** spoken ***** ***** *****. Th***** is ***** ***** because it explains why a child born to It*****lians parents is still absolutely cap***** of learning Greek if he ***** brought up in an environment where ***** is the primary language. *****is shows that bra***** does ***** a mechanism ***** enables ***** to fit words in***** certain compartments.

***** ***** why ***** previous findings can***** be taken seriously, "Previous ideas have said that grammar is just a bunch ***** rules ***** you ***** to follow, ***** that different languages have different rules, What we are saying ***** that different ***** don't have different rules. ***** actually ***** have rules. ***** they have ***** precise notions ***** what makes a sentence good or b*****d, and ***** all have the same *****." (USA Today Magazine, 1997)

***** ***** is ***** of the ***** intriguing and fascinating jobs performed ***** the brain and ***** there is no concrete evidence that could connect this cerebral function with a specific theory. Though every scientist in the world admits that children learn their language ***** ***** growing up in a ***** ***** where that particular language is *****, ***** ***** they have been unable to find ***** is how exactly children learn their languages when ***** are still ********** young to