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Child Language: Acquisition and Growth

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title Child Language: Acquisition and Growth
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Barbara C. Lust
SeriesCambridge Textbooks in Linguistics
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:410
Dimensions(mm): Height 244,Width 173
Category/GenrePsycholinguistics
ISBN/Barcode 9780521449229
ClassificationsDewey:401.93
Audience
Professional & Vocational
Tertiary Education (US: College)
Illustrations 29 Tables, unspecified

Publishing Details

Publisher Cambridge University Press
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publication Date 21 September 2006
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

The remarkable way in which young children acquire 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. Setting out the key theoretical debates, it considers questions such as what characteristics of the human mind make it possible to acquire language; how far acquisition is biologically programmed and how far it is influenced by our environment; what makes second language learning (in adulthood) different from first language acquisition; and whether the specific stages in language development are universal across languages. 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.

Author Biography

Barbara Lust is Professor in the Department of Human Development, Cornell University.

Reviews

'... this glimpse into a different scientific tradition, coupled with the opportunity to grasp the complexity of this uniquely human skill made this book well worth reading...' Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry