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University of Pennsylvania
Noam went to the University of Pennsylvania, the first school to study linguistics, and after a few years decided to major in linguistics. -
Marries Carol Schatz.
In 1949 Chomsky married another linguist named Carol Schatz. -
Dissertation
In 1955 He completed his dissertation "Transformational Analysis”. -
Syntax
Chomsky published groundbreaking books on syntax. -
Theories
For Chomsky, performance is a small part of linguistic competence, the most significant part is an inherent mechanism for syntax called universal language (McCabe, 2017). He was the first to notice that children did not imitate syntax and structure but that it was perhaps hardwired in us. He also came up with the terms "deep structure" and "surface structure" for example, "The dishwasher is running" has more than one deep structure. -
The Logical Structure of Linguistic Theory
Chomsky's book, "The Logical Structure of Linguistic Theory", is published. -
More on Language
“It seems clear that regarding linguistic competence -- knowledge of a language -- as an abstract system underlying behavior, a system constituted by rules that interact to determine the form and inartistic meaning of a potentially infinite number of sequences." (Chomsky, 2006) Chomsky proposed I language and E language whereby the former represents internal and the latter is external (LePore, 2004). Watch a brief interview here -
Activism
Chomsky is perhaps as much of an activist as he is a linguist. He has very left leaning, anti-capitalist views as seen on the 2019 video Requiem for the American Dream
