The Language Myth

The Language Myth is a 2014 book by Vyvyan Evans, written for a general audience. It is a direct rebuttal of Steven Pinker's 1994 book The Language Instinct. Evans argues against Noam Chomsky's claim that all human languages provide evidence for an underlying Universal Grammar. Evans posits, instead, a language-as-use thesis[1][2] to account for the nature of language, how it is learned and how it evolves.

The Language Myth: Why Language Is Not an Instinct
The Language Myth (first edition)
AuthorVyvyan Evans
LanguageEnglish
GenrePopular science
Published2014
PublisherCambridge University Press
ISBN978-1107619753
Followed byThe Crucible of Language 
Websitewww.vyvevans.net/popular

Reception

The Language Myth caused considerable controversy upon publication among supporters of Chomskyan universal grammar. David Adger argued that the "attack on generative linguistics misrepresents the field".[3] Another vocal critic, Norbert Hornstein attacked the book for presenting caricatures of Chomskyan generative grammar and of providing inadequate arguments to support its main claims.[4] Others have attacked the book for its polemical style and what are claimed to be Evans' misunderstandings of Universal Grammar.[5]

Evans responded by claiming that it is exactly critics of the book who misunderstand.[6] He argues that his critics do not provide a coherent argument that is falsifiable as they posit Universal Grammar as a theoretical axiom,[7] which does not require proof or evidence to support it.[8] He also argues that the Universal Grammar perspectives makes a claim that is biological rather than linguistic in nature,[9] and hence one that cannot be substantiated on the basis of linguistic evidence.[10][11]

Controversy

In 2016, Language, the flagship academic journal of the Linguistic Society of America published a series of "Alternative (Re)views"[12] by six leading linguists, all addressing The Language Myth. Evans was originally invited to contribute a response to those articles. However, his submission was rejected by the journal's review editor.[13] Evans wrote an open-letter to the linguistics community claiming that he was being censored.[14]

References
  1. Anderson, Alun (15 October 2014). "Why language is neither an instinct nor innate". New Scientist.
  2. "The Language Myth: Why Language Is Not an Instinct, by Vyvyan Evans". Times Higher Education (THE). 13 November 2014.
  3. Adger, David (April 2015). "Mythical myths: Comments on Vyvyan Evans' The Language Myth". Lingua. 158: 76–80. doi:10.1016/j.lingua.2015.02.006.
  4. Norbert (6 May 2015). "Faculty of Language: My (HOPEFULLY) last ever post on Vyvyan Evans and his endless dodging of the central issues". Faculty of Language. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  5. Allott, Nicholas; Rey, Georges (28 January 2017). "The many errors of Vyvyan Evans' The Language Myth". The Linguistic Review. 34 (3): 1–20. doi:10.1515/tlr-2017-0011. hdl:10852/65338. S2CID 171572986.
  6. "188: The Language Myth (featuring Vyvyan Evans)". Talk the Talk. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  7. Evans, Vyvyan (4 January 2015). "The Shape-Shifting Malleability of 'Universals' in UG". Psychology Today.
  8. Evans, Vyvyan (24 February 2016). "Why Only Us: The language paradox". New Scientist.
  9. Behme, Christina; Evans, Vyvyan (July 2015). "Leaving the myth behind: A reply to". Lingua. 162: 149–159. doi:10.1016/j.lingua.2015.05.004.
  10. Evans, Vyvyan (20 April 2015). "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions". Psychology Today.
  11. Evans, Vyvyan (20 July 2015). "Joining the Dodo". Psychology Today.
  13. "The Language Myth".
  14. "The Language Myth".
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