Lost Women of Science
Elizabeth Bates and the Search for the Roots of Human Language
Apr 25, 2024
Psychologist Elizabeth Bates challenged prevailing theories on human language acquisition, sparking intense debates with linguists like Steven Pinker and Noam Chomsky. Bates believed language emerges from brain-environment interactions, not an innate capacity, reshaping perspectives on cognition and language. The podcast explores the clash between established theories and innovative ideas in linguistics, shedding light on the legacy of Bates' groundbreaking work in language studies.
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Quick takeaways
- Language skills are shaped by environmental interactions, not innate capacity like traditional beliefs.
- Elizabeth Bates challenges the nativist idea of language instinct and promotes emergentism theory of language acquisition.
Deep dives
Liz Bates Challenges Nativism in Language Acquisition
Liz Bates, a researcher in linguistics, challenges the widely accepted nativist idea that humans are hardwired for language. She argues that language skills are not innate, pointing out discrepancies in language development among children raised in different linguistic environments. Through her studies, she demonstrates that language abilities are shaped by interactions with the environment, contradicting the traditional belief in an innate language instinct.
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