What phenomenon occurs when children begin to generalize internal grammar rules while learning a language?

The phenomenon where children start to generalize internal grammar rules while learning a language is known as Errors of Growth. This concept refers to the natural mistakes that children make as they develop their linguistic skills, demonstrating their understanding of grammatical structures. For example, a child might say "comed" instead of "came" or "goed" instead of "went," illustrating that they are applying a regular grammatical rule (adding -ed for past tense) even when that rule does not apply.

This process signifies that children are actively engaging with the language and trying to apply what they have learned, showcasing their evolving understanding of language rules rather than merely imitating adults. The errors made reflect their growing cognitive and linguistic development stages, where they grasp more complex concepts but sometimes overextend rules in their speech.

In the context of the other options, Overcorrection refers to correcting mistakes excessively or rigidly, and Transformational Grammar pertains to a theory that explains how different sentences can arise from the same underlying structure. Language Acquisition Device relates to the innate capacity humans have for language learning, which doesn't specifically address the errors made during the generalization of grammar rules.