THE FOXP2 GENE AND LANGUAGE: A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE BOUNDARIES OF SOCIOLINGUISTIC INTERPRETATION

Abstract

This study offers a critical sociolinguistic and interdisciplinary analysis of the concept of the “language gene” associated with FOXP2. The paper argues for a clear distinction between the neurobiological functions of FOXP2 and the social nature of language. While FOXP2 contributes to the biological capacity for speech production, language itself is shaped through social interaction and communicative practice. Drawing on Chomsky’s theory of biological preparedness and Labov’s sociolinguistic framework, the study demonstrates that FOXP2 should not be treated as a direct explanatory factor in linguistics, but rather as an interdisciplinary concept delimiting the biological conditions of linguistic activity

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DOI

10.52773/tsuull.conf.2026./wbul3494

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