Synopses & Reviews
Exploring language development from birth, this accessible textbook introduces the field of child language acquisition, establishing key theoretical debates. It considers what characteristics of the human mind make it possible to acquire language and to what extent acquisition is biologically programmed and influenced by our environment. It inquires as to what makes second language learning (in adulthood) different from first language acquisition; and whether the specific stages in language development are universal across languages. It will be a key text for courses in linguistics, developmental psychology and cognitive science.
Review
"This volume provides an excellent overview of the theoretical and empirical advances in this field over the past 30 years...The writing is lucid and engaging..." -Susan A. Gelman, University of Michigan: Studies in Second Language Acquisition
Synopsis
The remarkable way in which young children acquire their first language has long fascinated linguists and developmental psychologists alike. Language is a skill that we have essentially mastered by the age of three, and with incredible ease and speed, despite the complexity of the task. This accessible textbook introduces the field of child language acquisition, exploring language development from birth. Clear and comprehensive, it is set to become a key text for all courses in child language acquisition, within linguistics, developmental psychology and cognitive science.
Synopsis
The remarkable way in which young children acquire their first language has long fascinated linguists and developmental psychologists alike. Language is a skill that we have essentially mastered by the age of three, and with incredible ease and speed, despite the complexity of the task. This accessible textbook introduces the field of child language acquisition, exploring language development from birth. Clear and comprehensive, it is set to become a key text for all courses in child language acquisition, within linguistics, developmental psychology and cognitive science.
Synopsis
An accessible introduction to child language acquisition, exploring language development from birth.
About the Author
Barbara Lust is Professor in the Department of Human Development, Cornell University.
Table of Contents
1. The growth of language; 2. What is acquired?; 3. What is the problem of language acquisition?; 4. How we can construct a theory of language acquisition; 5. Brain and language development; 6. The nature of nurture; 7. How can we tell what children know?: methods for the study of language acquisition; 8. The acquisition of phonology; 9. The acquisition of syntax; 10. The acquisition of semantics; 11. On the nature of language growth; 12. Conclusions: towards an integrated theory of language acquisition.