Francis Y. Lin

Francis Y. Lin
Academic background
Alma mater	University of Oxford (PhD), University of Essex (PhD)
Thesis	Grammar, meaning and understanding : an inquiry into grammatical and semantic competence (2002)
Academic work
Discipline	linguistics, computer science
Sub-discipline	philosophy of linguistics, syntax, philosophy of language, Wittgenstein
Institutions	Beijing International Studies University Beihang University (2010-2016) Beijing Normal University (2004-2010) Goldsmiths, University of London (2000-2004)

Francis Yunqing Lin is a Chinese linguist and professor at Beijing International Studies University. He is known for his critique of generative grammar.

Critique of universal grammar

In an article, published in Lingua, Lin tries to provide a refutation of universal grammar based on methodological grounds. He points out that the very method for discovering the grammar makes it impossible to discover any innate linguistic universals. John J. Kim (from San Francisco State University) and Tong Wu (from Central China Normal University) has replied to Lin's views.^[1][2] Lin has published a reply to Kim's arguments.^[3]

References

1. Kim, John J. (July 2018). "A refutation of a refutation of universal grammar". Lingua. 210–211: 122–124. doi:10.1016/j.lingua.2018.04.005. ISSN 0024-3841. S2CID 171752733.
2. Wu, Tong (2020-03-01). "A refutation of "a refutation of universal grammar"(Lin, f. 2017. Lingua 193. 1–22.)". Poznań Studies in Contemporary Linguistics. 56 (1): 169–205. doi:10.1515/psicl-2020-0005. S2CID 212726356.
3. Lin, Francis Y. (April 2019). "Methodological confusions in universal grammar: Reply to Kim". Lingua. 222: 74–79. doi:10.1016/j.lingua.2019.02.008. ISSN 0024-3841. S2CID 171658577.

External links

• What is really wrong with universal grammar