Emergentism Emergentism and and

BrianBrian MacWhinneyMacWhinneySam and LibertySam and Liberty

EmergentismEmergentismEmergentism Emergentism is the belief in is the belief in emergence,emergence, or the or the complexity that arises from the combination of complexity that arises from the combination of simple components. simple components.

As it pertains to language, emergentists believe As it pertains to language, emergentists believe that that context context plays a prominent role in the plays a prominent role in the comprehension and acquisition of language. This comprehension and acquisition of language. This context contains complexities that cannot be context contains complexities that cannot be found in its written definition.found in its written definition.

Emergentist SystemsEmergentist SystemsIn an In an emergentist systememergentist system, such as language, the , such as language, the existence of the simple components that make up existence of the simple components that make up the complex system cannot be predicted the complex system cannot be predicted beforehand. The components are created in beforehand. The components are created in reaction to reaction to pre-existing componentspre-existing components. .

Even if someone had previous knowledge of the system, Even if someone had previous knowledge of the system, they could still not accurately predict the components they could still not accurately predict the components before they emerge.before they emerge.

Emergentist systems are governed by laws Emergentist systems are governed by laws specific only to that system.specific only to that system.

Brian MacWhinneyBrian MacWhinneyMacWhinney is a professor MacWhinney is a professor pof psychology and modern pof psychology and modern languagesl he has done languagesl he has done numerous studies on how numerous studies on how languages are developed languages are developed and how people learn them.and how people learn them.• He’s fluent in seven He’s fluent in seven

languages.languages.

He has also developed He has also developed many new computer many new computer programs for performing programs for performing psychological experiments.psychological experiments.

MacWhinney’s Competition ModelMacWhinney’s Competition Model

The The competition model competition model is an emergentist theory for is an emergentist theory for how both first and second languages are learned, how both first and second languages are learned, developed by Brian MacWhinney and Elizabeth Bates.developed by Brian MacWhinney and Elizabeth Bates.

The competition model states that:The competition model states that:

Language is neither completely innate nor is it Language is neither completely innate nor is it completely learned, but is a combination of bothcompletely learned, but is a combination of both

Words are merely meaningless symbols that have no Words are merely meaningless symbols that have no relevance to people without proper relevance to people without proper contextcontext..

Example: A refrigerator would not be the same if we Example: A refrigerator would not be the same if we weren’t accustomed to seeing it being used in a weren’t accustomed to seeing it being used in a kitchen, to store food.kitchen, to store food.

Linguistic FunctionalismLinguistic FunctionalismBrian MacWhinney has also recently studied Brian MacWhinney has also recently studied Linguistic FunctionalismLinguistic Functionalism..

Linguistic Functionalism is the idea that Linguistic Functionalism is the idea that grammar and language have developed grammar and language have developed because of the human brain’s ability to shift because of the human brain’s ability to shift the perspective from which one views an the perspective from which one views an event. New ways of using grammar emerge in event. New ways of using grammar emerge in response to the need to describe and response to the need to describe and understand events and objects from the point understand events and objects from the point of view of others.of view of others.

Works CitedWorks CitedP.B. Anderson (Ed.) (2000). Downward Causation. Aahus University Press. P.B. Anderson (Ed.) (2000). Downward Causation. Aahus University Press. <http://hincapie.psych.purdue.edu/HHPTuckerG00-DC.pd><http://hincapie.psych.purdue.edu/HHPTuckerG00-DC.pd>

O'Connor, Timothy and Wong, Hong Yu, "Emergent Properties", O'Connor, Timothy and Wong, Hong Yu, "Emergent Properties", The The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2009 Edition), Edward N. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2009 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2009/entries/properties-<http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2009/entries/properties-emergent/>.emergent/>.

MacWhinney, Brian (2005). "A Unified Model of Language Acquisition". In MacWhinney, Brian (2005). "A Unified Model of Language Acquisition". In Kroll, Judith; DeGroot, Annette. Handbook of bilingualism: Psycholinguistic Kroll, Judith; DeGroot, Annette. Handbook of bilingualism: Psycholinguistic approaches.. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. approaches.. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

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