The Language Instinct book club questions

1. 1.

   Pinker argues language is a biological instinct rather than a cultural invention. What evidence in the book do you find most persuasive?

2. 2.

   Does the existence of a Universal Grammar change how you think about the diversity of the world's languages?

3. 3.

   He disagrees with Chomsky about whether language is a Darwinian adaptation. Does Chomsky's position — that language might be a byproduct of general intelligence — seem plausible to you?

4. 4.

   What does it mean to say that language is 'in the genes'? Does that claim seem more or less alarming than claiming that eye color is in the genes?

5. 5.

   The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis holds that language shapes thought. Pinker argues it is largely false. Have you had experiences that seem to support or contradict that hypothesis?

6. 6.

   Children's systematic errors — saying 'goed' instead of 'went' — reveal rule-following rather than memorization. What does that observation tell you about how children learn?

7. 7.

   Pinker makes a sustained case that human nature is real and biologically grounded. Is there a version of that claim you are comfortable with? Is there a version that worries you?

8. 8.

   What does the spontaneous emergence of language in deaf children who were never taught sign language tell us about where language comes from?

9. 9.

   Language is partly instinct and partly culture — there is a universal grammar but you still have to learn your specific language. Where exactly does the instinct end and the culture begin?

10. 10.

    If language is a biological adaptation, what selection pressures drove its evolution? Pinker proposes social coordination; what other hypotheses seem plausible?

11. 11.

    Pinker's writing is notably precise and sometimes polemical. Does his confidence about contested empirical questions strike you as appropriate or overconfident?

12. 12.

    How does thinking of language as a biological instinct change how you think about language learning in adults, or about communication between people with different native languages?

How to run the discussion

• Pick six to eight, not all of them. An hour of real discussion covers fewer questions than anyone expects, and racing the list is what makes a book club feel like homework.
• Open with what people noticed, not what they concluded. Asking for a verdict first hardens opinions before anyone has heard each other.
• Let the disagreement run. The questions below that split a room are the ones worth the time; the ones everyone answers the same way can be skipped.
• Ask the quiet person a specific question. A direct, narrow question is far easier to answer than an open invitation to contribute.