There are between 3000 and 6000 public languages in the world,(1)______________________________. Considering these facts, the possibilities for breakdowns in communication seem infinite in number. However, we do communicate successfully from time to time. And we do learn to speak languages. But learning to speak languages seems to be a very mysterious process. (2)____________________________. For example, a baby touches a hot pot and starts to cry. The mother says, "Hot, hot!" And the baby, when it stops crying, imitates the mother and says, "Hot, hot!" However, Noam Chomsky, a famous expert in language, pointed out that although children do learn some words by imitation and association, they also combine words to make meaningful sentences in ways that are unique, unlearned and creative. (3)_____________________________. Chomsky meant that underneath all the differences between public and private languages, there is a universal language mechanism that makes it possible for us, as infants, to learn any language in the world. This theory explains the potential that human infants have for learning language. But it does not really explain how children come to use language in particular ways.
