Child Language: Acquisition and Growth (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics)

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 5
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Dedication......Page 9
Contents......Page 11
List of figures......Page 17
List of tables......Page 18
Preface......Page 19
Acknowledgments......Page 20
1.2 A logical-developmental perspective......Page 23
1.4 Language acquisition, linguistic theory and cognitive science......Page 25
1.4.2 Cognitive Science and language development......Page 26
1.5 The structure of this book......Page 27
1.6 Toward a more comprehensive theory of language acquisition......Page 28
1.7 Supplementary readings......Page 29
2.1.1 Attempting to define language......Page 31
2.1.3 Language and communication......Page 33
2.2 The discovery of the place of human language: in the mind......Page 34
2.2.2 A formal distinction: I-Language versus E-Language......Page 35
2.3.2 A digital system......Page 36
2.3.4 The power of sequencing......Page 37
2.3.5 The recursive property......Page 38
2.3.6 Constituent structure......Page 39
2.3.8.1 Displacement......Page 40
2.3.8.3 Pronouns......Page 41
2.3.9 Knowing the impossible......Page 42
2.3.10 Finding the meaning......Page 43
2.3.12 Summarizing the basic properties of the hidden system......Page 44
2.4.2 The interfaces......Page 45
2.4.3 Levels of representation......Page 46
2.4.4 Relation of child language acquisition to linguistic theory......Page 47
2.5 Conclusions......Page 48
2.6 Supplementary readings......Page 49
3.1.1.1 Positive evidence......Page 50
3.1.1.2 Negative evidence......Page 51
3.1.1.4 Indirect negative evidence......Page 52
3.1.1.5 Primary linguistic data (PLD)......Page 53
3.1.1.6 Cracking the code......Page 54
3.2.1.1 The continuous speech stream......Page 55
3.2.1.4 Opacity of the speech stream......Page 56
3.2.2.1 Where are the words?......Page 58
3.2.2.3 Discovering the system......Page 59
3.2.2.4 Making variability tractable: knowing the rules......Page 60
3.2.2.5 Relating levels of representation: phonology, morphology and syntax......Page 61
3.3 How could the problem be solved?......Page 62
3.3.1 Prosodic bootstrapping......Page 63
3.3.3 Semantic bootstrapping......Page 64
3.3.3.2 Reference is inscrutable......Page 65
3.3.3.4 Learning in the blind child......Page 67
3.3.3.6 Meaning is necessary......Page 68
3.4 Conclusions......Page 69
3.5 Supplementary readings......Page 70
4.1.2 The challenge of language acquisition to classical empiricist approaches......Page 71
4.1.2.1 Serial order......Page 72
4.1.2.2 Chomsky’s review of Skinner......Page 73
4.2.1.1 The Language Faculty......Page 74
4.2.1.2.3 From LAD to UG......Page 75
4.2.1.2.4 Armed for discovery......Page 77
4.2.1.2.5 Summary......Page 79
4.2.2.1 How does parameter setting work?......Page 80
4.2.2.2 A separate learnability module?......Page 82
4.2.2.3 The nature of development......Page 83
4.2.3.1 Functionalism and Competition Model (F&CM)......Page 85
4.2.3.2 Connectionism......Page 86
4.2.3.3 Language Making Capacity......Page 87
4.2.3.4 Usage-based item by item imitative learning......Page 89
4.2.5 Resolving epistemological tensions......Page 91
4.3.1 Predictions of a rationalist paradigm......Page 92
4.4 Conclusions......Page 93
4.5 Supplementary readings......Page 94
5.1 Introduction......Page 95
5.2 The human brain......Page 96
5.2.1 Cerebral cortex......Page 97
5.3 Cerebral dominance......Page 98
5.3.2 Sign language......Page 100
5.3.3 Development......Page 101
5.4 Dissociation: localization within the left hemisphere......Page 106
5.4.1 Language pathologies......Page 107
5.4.3 Refining dissociations......Page 108
5.4.4.1 The Wernicke Geschwind Model......Page 109
5.4.4.2 Current modeling......Page 110
5.4.5.1 Gender differences......Page 111
5.6.1 Developmental disorders......Page 112
5.6.2 SLI (Specific Language Impairment)......Page 113
5.7 Plasticity......Page 114
5.8 Critical Period......Page 115
5.8.1 Genie......Page 116
5.8.2 Second language acquisition......Page 118
5.9.2 Is there a language gene?......Page 119
5.10 Conclusions......Page 120
5.11 Supplementary readings......Page 122
6.1.2 Lack of overt practice......Page 123
6.1.4.1 “Beyond Herodotus”......Page 124
6.1.5 Language acquisition without communication......Page 126
6.1.7 The inscrutability of rate of language acquisition......Page 127
6.2.1.2 Language is special......Page 128
6.2.1.3 Is one language enough?......Page 129
6.3 What is the nature of the input?......Page 131
6.3.1 Baby Talk Register (BTR)......Page 132
6.3.2.1 Is BTR a language-teaching mechanism?......Page 134
6.3.2.2 Statistical learning......Page 137
6.3.2.4 Cross-cultural differences......Page 139
6.3.3.1 Direct negative evidence......Page 140
6.3.3.4 Non-effects of relative frequency......Page 141
6.3.3.6 Imitation......Page 142
6.4 Conclusions......Page 143
6.5 Supplementary readings......Page 144
7.1.1 Knowing vs. doing......Page 145
7.1.1.3 Language knowledge and pragmatic factors......Page 146
7.1.1.4 Language acquisition and performance factors......Page 147
7.2.1 Grammaticality judgments......Page 151
7.2.2.1 Natural speech sampling......Page 154
7.2.2.2 Elicited Production (EP)......Page 155
7.2.2.3 Elicited Imitation (EI)......Page 156
7.2.3.2 Truth Value Judgment Task......Page 157
7.3.1 High Amplitude Sucking (HAS)......Page 158
7.3.2 Head turn techniques......Page 159
7.4.1 Naturalistic vs. experimental......Page 160
7.4.2 Comprehension vs. production......Page 161
7.5 Conclusions......Page 162
7.6 Supplementary readings......Page 163
8.1.1 What must children acquire?......Page 165
8.1.2 What are the challenges?......Page 167
8.1.3 Leading questions......Page 168
8.2.1.1 Categorical perception......Page 170
8.2.1.2 Discrimination of speech sounds......Page 171
8.2.1.3 Suprasegmental structures......Page 172
8.2.1.5 Summary......Page 173
8.2.2.1 What’s in a “coo”?......Page 174
8.2.2.2 What’s in a “babble”?......Page 175
8.2.2.3 Summary......Page 176
8.3.1 Early phonological deformations......Page 177
8.3.2 Is acquisition of phonology pre-ordained?......Page 181
8.3.3 “Mushy Mouth–Mushy Ear” Hypothesis......Page 184
8.3.4 Grammatical mapping: continuity of the Language Faculty......Page 186
8.3.4.1 Neil Smith and Amahl......Page 187
8.3.4.3 Natural Phonology......Page 190
8.3.4.4 Continuity of child and adult grammars......Page 191
8.3.4.5 Variation......Page 192
8.3.5.1 Acquisition of prosody......Page 194
8.3.5.2 Integrating segmental and suprasegmental dimensions......Page 196
8.4 Conclusions......Page 197
8.4.1 Toward an explanation......Page 199
8.4.2 Linguistic theories......Page 200
8.4.3 Open questions......Page 201
8.5 Supplementary readings......Page 202
9.1.1 What must children acquire?......Page 204
9.2 How do children meet the challenge? Laying the foundations: the first twelve months......Page 209
9.2.1.1 Linear order......Page 210
9.2.1.2.1 The clause......Page 211
9.2.1.2.2 The phrase......Page 212
9.2.1.4 Structural variability......Page 213
9.2.1.6 Functional Categories (FC)......Page 214
9.2.1.7 Summary......Page 215
9.3.1 The development of production......Page 216
9.3.1.1 Linear order......Page 217
9.3.1.2 Recursion......Page 219
9.3.1.3 Functional Categories and constituent structure......Page 220
9.3.1.3.1 DP (Determiner Phrase)......Page 223
9.3.1.3.2 IP (Inflectional Phrase)......Page 224
9.3.1.3.3 CP (Complementizer Phrase)......Page 228
9.3.1.4 Summary......Page 229
9.3.2.1 UG Principle of Structure Dependence......Page 230
9.3.2.2.2 Pro Drop......Page 232
9.3.3 Operations......Page 234
9.3.4 Computation: anaphora......Page 235
9.3.5 Summary......Page 238
9.4.1 Toward an explanation......Page 239
9.5 Supplementary readings......Page 240
10.1.1 What must children acquire?......Page 241
10.1.2 What are the challenges?......Page 244
10.1.4 Language and thought......Page 245
10.1.5 Relating language and cognition......Page 247
10.2.1 Perception......Page 249
10.2.2 Production......Page 250
10.3.1 Creativity......Page 251
10.3.3 Fast mapping......Page 252
10.3.4 Overextensions......Page 253
10.3.5 Categorical throughout......Page 254
10.3.6.1 Early theories of the acquisition of word meaning......Page 255
10.3.6.2 Semantic Constraints......Page 257
10.3.6.3 Ontological constraints......Page 258
10.3.6.5 Pragmatics......Page 259
10.3.7 Higher order semantics......Page 260
10.4 Conclusions......Page 261
10.4.2 Open questions......Page 262
10.5 Supplementary readings......Page 263
11.1.1 Grammatical categories......Page 264
11.1.2 Grammatical case......Page 267
11.1.3 Grammatical gender......Page 272
11.1.4 Classifiers......Page 273
11.2.1 Do the mechanisms of language acquisition change?......Page 275
11.2.2 Eliminating false hypotheses......Page 276
11.2.2.1 A separate learnability module?......Page 277
11.2.2.3 Indirect negative evidence......Page 279
11.3 Syntactic bootstrapping......Page 280
11.5 Supplementary readings......Page 284
12.2 Conclusions......Page 285
12.3.1 Linguistic bootstrapping......Page 286
12.3.3 Reviewing Universal Grammar......Page 287
12.4.1 The mystery remains......Page 288
12.5.1 Cross-linguistic data......Page 289
12.5.2 Pragmatics......Page 290
12.5.4 Brain imaging......Page 291
Appendix 1 Developmental milestones in motor and language development (adapted from Lenneberg 1967, 128–130)......Page 292
Appendix 2a Developmental milestones in infant speech perception......Page 294
Appendix 2b Examples of sound distinctions perceived by infants......Page 296
Appendix 3 Developmental milestones in infant speech production......Page 298
Appendix 4 Developmental milestones in infant syntax: perception......Page 300
Appendix 5 Developmental milestones in infant syntax: production......Page 302
Appendix 6 Developmental milestones in infant semantics......Page 303
Appendix 7 Abbreviations and notations......Page 305
Glossary......Page 307
References......Page 315
Author index......Page 395
Subject index......Page 405