Where Does Grammar Come From? | Tomasello’s Theory Explained

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In this Beyond Words solo episode, I try and break down Michael Tomasello’s usage-based account of language development and the idea that grammar may be less like a rulebook and more like a collection of cultural tools that children learn through interacting with other people.

Tomasello’s answer brings together intention reading, pattern finding, linguistic constructions, joint attention, and joint agency. We look at why constructions themselves carry meaning, how children discover roles within utterances, and how the roles and perspectives involved in human cooperation may provide part of the cognitive foundation for grammar.

This video builds on my recent Beyond Words conversation with Michael Tomasello: https://youtu.be/H0En9S8NmSk?si=dNnZ3nD3ZjDFVJzM

📚 References

Tomasello, M. (2003). Constructing a Language: A Usage-Based Theory of Language Acquisition. Harvard University Press.

Tomasello, M. (2024). Agency and Cognitive Development. Oxford University Press.

Tomasello, M., & Barton, M. E. (1994). Learning words in nonostensive contexts. Developmental Psychology, 30(5), 639–650.

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