Constraints On Language Acquisition

Author : Helen Tager-Flusberg
Publisher : Psychology Press
Page : 237 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2014-02-25
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9781317783800

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Constraints on Language Acquisition by Helen Tager-Flusberg Pdf

After decades of research most scholars generally agree that language acquisition is a complex and multifaceted process that involves the interaction of innate biologically-based mechanisms devoted to language, other non-linguistic cognitive and social mechanisms, linguistic input, and information about the social and physical world. Theoretical work in the field of language acquisition now needs to focus in greater depth and detail on some specific aspects of this general model, which is the main goal of this book. The chapters in this volume provide some new insights into one of the most remarkable accomplishments achieved by almost all children. The particular questions that are raised by contributors include: * What kinds of constraints operate on the process of language development? * Which aspects of the acquisition process depend on language-specific mechanisms? * Are there critical brain structures necessary for the acquisition of language? * What role do cognitive and social mechanisms play in language development? * How critical is perceptual input about the physical and social world? * What is the specific role played by linguistic input in the child's construction of a linguistic system? Questions are addressed from the perspective of children who come to the task of acquiring language with many hurdles to overcome, including deafness and blindness, mental retardation, autism, and prenatal or perinatal brain damage involving the left hemisphere. Each section contributes some insight on how an innate language-specific biological substrate interacts with cognitive and social factors, as well as external information, to support the child's construction of a linguistic system. Studies of atypical children offer a singular contribution to this enterprise by allowing us to see the specific influences of each component, and in turn, they shed new light on how all children are able to acquire language so effortlessly and during such a brief period of development.

Author : Anke Lenzing
Publisher : John Benjamins Publishing
Page : 302 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 2013-08-14
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9789027271693

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The Development of the Grammatical System in Early Second Language Acquisition by Anke Lenzing Pdf

Shortlisted for the Christopher Brumfit Award in Applied Linguistics.The Development of the Grammatical System in Early Second Language Acquisition focuses on the acquisition process of early L2 learners. It is based on the following key hypothesis: the initial mental grammatical system of L2 learners is constrained semantically, syntactically and mnemonically. This hypothesis is formalised as the Multiple Constraints Hypothesis. The empirical test of the Multiple Constraints Hypothesis is based on a large database including cross-sectional and longitudinal data from square-one ESL beginners. The study demonstrates that the postulated constraints are relaxed successively as learning progresses. The book is intended for postgraduate students as well as SLA researchers.

Author : David J. Messer,Geoffrey J. Turner
Publisher : Springer
Page : 295 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 1993-03-15
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9781349226085

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Critical Influences on Child Language Acquisition and Development by David J. Messer,Geoffrey J. Turner Pdf

The book identifies and assesses the importance of a range of influences on child language acquisition and development, paying particular attention to situational influences. Key issues are highlighted and recent research is succinctly presented. There are five sections: the deployment of speech during early development; linguistic interaction and family background: encoding the situation; multidimentional aspects of language development; and constraints on language development. There are twelve chapters on these themes contributed by leading researchers in this area.

Author : Julia Herschensohn
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2007-10-18
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 0521872979

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Language Development and Age by Julia Herschensohn Pdf

This book was first published in 2007. The anecdotal view of language acquisition is that children learn language with apparent ease, no instruction and in very little time, while adults find learning a new language to be cognitively challenging, labour intensive and time-consuming. In this book Herschensohn examines whether early childhood is a critical period for language acquisition after which individuals cannot learn a language as native speakers. She argues that a first language is largely susceptible to age constraints, showing major deficits past the age of twelve. Second-language acquisition also shows age effects, but with a range of individual differences. The competence of expert adult learners, the unequal achievements of child learners of second languages, and the lack of consistent evidence for a maturational cut-off, all cast doubt on a critical period for second-language acquisition.

Author : Helen Tager-Flusberg
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 1994
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 0805806679

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Constraints on Language Acquisition by Helen Tager-Flusberg Pdf

Author : Yonata Levy
Publisher : Psychology Press
Page : 408 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2013-05-13
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9781134776863

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Other Children, Other Languages by Yonata Levy Pdf

This volume investigates the implications of the study of populations other than educated, middle-class, normal children and languages other than English on a universal theory of language acquisition. Because the authors represent different theoretical orientations, their contributions permit the reader to appreciate the full spectrum of language acquisition research. Emphasis is placed on the principle ways in which data from pathology and from a variety of languages may affect universal statements. The contributors confront some of the major theoretical issues in acquisition.

Author : Michèle Kail,Maya Hickmann
Publisher : John Benjamins Publishing
Page : 341 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2010
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9789027253149

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Language Acquisition Across Linguistic and Cognitive Systems by Michèle Kail,Maya Hickmann Pdf

How and why do all children learn language? Why do some have difficulties while others are early language learners? What are the consequences of early bilingualism? Is it possible to reach native-like competence in a foreign language? Although we still cannot fully answer these questions, research during the last two decades has begun to solve some pieces of the puzzle. This book proposes an interdisciplinary collection of writings from some of the best specialists across several fields in cognitive science, offering a wide sample of recent advances in the study of first language acquisition, bilingualism, second language acquisition, and disorders of oral language. It is addressed to all researchers and students interested in language acquisition, as well as to teachers, clinicians and parents, who will find therein many new findings and varied methodological approaches, as well as challenging questions that are still debated and in need of further research.

Author : Nina Hyams
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 186 pages
File Size : 42,7 Mb
Release : 2012-12-06
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9789400946385

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Language Acquisition and the Theory of Parameters by Nina Hyams Pdf

This book is perhaps the most stunning available demonstration of the explanatory power of the parametric approach to linguistic theory. It is akin, not to a deductive proof, but to the discovery of a footprint in a far-off place which leaves an archeologist elated. The book is full of intricate reasoning, but the stunning aspect is that the reasoning moves between not only complex syntax and diverse languages, but it makes predictions about what two-year-old children will assume about the jumble of linguistic input that confronts them. Those predictions, Hyams shows, are supported by a discriminating analysis of acquisition data in English and Italian. Let us examine the linguistic context for a moment before we discuss her theory. The ultimate issue in linguistic theory is the explanation of how a child can acquire any human language. To capture this fact we must posit an innate mechanism which meets two opposite constraints: it must be broad enough to account for the diversity of human language, and narrow enough so that the child does not make irrelevant hypotheses about his own language, particularly ones from which there is no recovery. That is, a child must not posit a grammar which permits all of the sentences of a language as well as other sentences which are not in the language. In a word, the child must not create a language in which one cannot make adult discriminations between grammatical and ungrammatical.

Author : Erika Hoff,Marilyn Shatz
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 515 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2009-05-11
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9781405194594

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Blackwell Handbook of Language Development by Erika Hoff,Marilyn Shatz Pdf

The Blackwell Handbook of Language Development provides a comprehensive treatment of the major topics and current concerns in the field; exploring the progress of 21st century research, its precursors, and promising research topics for the future. Provides comprehensive treatments of the major topics and current concerns in the field of language development Explores foundational and theoretical approaches Focuses on the 21st century's research into the areas of brain development, computational skills, bilingualism, education, and cross-cultural comparison Looks at language development in infancy through early childhood, as well as atypical development Considers the past work, present research, and promising topics for the future. Broad coverage makes this an excellent resource for graduate students in a variety of disciplines

Author : Donna Lardiere
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 246 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2017-09-25
Category : Education
ISBN : 9781351538237

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Ultimate Attainment in Second Language Acquisition by Donna Lardiere Pdf

The first book-length treatment of its type, Ultimate Attainment in Second Language Acquisition is a case study with a solid theoretical grounding that examines the language of an immigrant learner of English, and thereby presents a much needed understanding of the linguistic competence of second language speakers. Based on longitudinal data collected over a period of 16 years, this clear and accessible presentation is well-grounded in linguistic theory and in second language acquisition research issues. Author Donna Lardiere presents the narrative of Patty, an adult Chinese immigrant learner of English, who achieves native-like proficiency in some areas of her English idiolect, although reaches a plateau in her language acquisition, known as the concept of fossilization. By addressing this concept, a central idea in second language acquisition research, Lardiere fills a void in existing literature. Individual chapters focus on Patty’s end state knowledge of grammatical areas of finiteness, past-tense marking, word order, wh-movement and relativization, passivization, number marking, and use of determiners. Important topics discussed throughout the book include: *learner variability in production; *case study methodology; *the roles of motivation and prior language (L1) knowledge; and *sensitivity to input in circumscribing ultimate attainment in adult second language acquisition. Ultimate Attainment in Second Language Acquisition is intended for anyone whose research is in the areas of second language acquisition, language acquisition, theoretical, applied, or developmental linguistics. It is also appropriate for graduate level students of TESOL and teachers who work with more advanced learners of foreign languages.

Author : Patricia J. Brooks,Vera Kempe
Publisher : SAGE Publications
Page : 1471 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 2014-03-28
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9781483389776

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Encyclopedia of Language Development by Patricia J. Brooks,Vera Kempe Pdf

The progression from newborn to sophisticated language user in just a few short years is often described as wonderful and miraculous. What are the biological, cognitive, and social underpinnings of this miracle? What major language development milestones occur in infancy? What methodologies do researchers employ in studying this progression? Why do some become adept at multiple languages while others face a lifelong struggle with just one? What accounts for declines in language proficiency, and how might such declines be moderated? Despite an abundance of textbooks, specialized monographs, and a couple of academic handbooks, there has been no encyclopedic reference work in this area--until now. The Encyclopedia of Language Development covers the breadth of theory and research on language development from birth through adulthood, as well as their practical application. Features: This affordable A-to-Z reference includes 200 articles that address such topic areas as theories and research tradition; biological perspectives; cognitive perspectives; family, peer, and social influences; bilingualism; special populations and disorders; and more. All articles (signed and authored by key figures in the field) conclude with cross reference links and suggestions for further reading. Appendices include a Resource Guide with annotated lists of classic books and articles, journals, associations, and web sites; a Glossary of specialized terms; and a Chronology offering an overview and history of the field. A thematic Reader’s Guide groups related articles by broad topic areas as one handy search feature on the e-Reference platform, which includes a comprehensive index of search terms. Available in both print and electronic formats, Encyclopedia of Language Development is a must-have reference for researchers and is ideal for library reference or circulating collections. Key Themes: Categories Effects of language on cognitive development Fundamentals, theories and models of language development Impairments of language development Language development in special populations Literacy and language development Mechanisms of language development Methods in language development research Prelinguistic communicative development Social effects in language acquisition Specific aspects of language development

Author : Sverker Johansson
Publisher : John Benjamins Publishing
Page : 359 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2005-02-17
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9789027294609

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Origins of Language by Sverker Johansson Pdf

Sverker Johansson has written an unusual book on language origins, with its emphasis on empirical evidence rather than theory-building. This is a book for the student or researcher who prefers solid data and well-supported conclusions, over speculative scenarios. Much that has been written on the origins of language is characterized by hypothesizing largely unconstrained by evidence. But empirical data do exist, and the purpose of this book is to integrate and review the available evidence from all relevant disciplines, not only linguistics but also, e.g., neurology, primatology, paleoanthropology, and evolutionary biology. The evidence is then used to constrain the multitude of scenarios for language origins, demonstrating that many popular hypotheses are untenable. Among the issues covered: (1) Human evolutionary history, (2) Anatomical prerequisites for language, (3) Animal communication and ape "language", (4) Mind and language, (5) The role of gesture, (6) Innateness, (7) Selective advantage of language, (8) Proto-language.

Author : Megan R. Gunnar,Michael Maratsos
Publisher : Psychology Press
Page : 253 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2014-02-25
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9781317782216

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Modularity and Constraints in Language and Cognition by Megan R. Gunnar,Michael Maratsos Pdf

One of the central problems in the study of modern cognition is the degree to which higher cognition is modularized: that is, how much are higher functions carried out by domain-specific, specialized, cognitive subsystems, rather than a highly general cognitive learning and inferring device? To date, ideas and proposals about modularity have been best developed in the study of vision and grammar. In the present volume, the usefulness of approaches employing modularity and domain specificity are further explored in papers on the development of biological thought, word meaning, symbols, and emotional development, as well as in the core area of grammar itself, by leading researchers in these fields. The volume also contains an introduction to some basic ideas and concepts in the study of modularity and domain-specificity, and some critical discussion of the overall problems of the modularity constraints approach to analyzing development.

Author : René Kager,Joe Pater,Wim Zonneveld
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 431 pages
File Size : 52,5 Mb
Release : 2004-01-15
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9781139450195

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Constraints in Phonological Acquisition by René Kager,Joe Pater,Wim Zonneveld Pdf

This outstanding 2004 volume presents an overview of linguistic research into the acquisition of phonology. Bringing together well-known researchers in the field, it focuses on constraints in phonological acquisition (as opposed to rules), and offers concrete examples of the formalization of phonological development in terms of constraint ranking. The first two chapters situate the research in its broader context, with an introduction by the editors providing a brief general tutorial on Optimality Theory. Chapter two serves to highlight the history of constraints in studies of phonological development, which predates their current ascent to prominence in phonological theory. The remaining chapters address a number of partially overlapping themes: the study of child production data in terms of constraints, learnability issues, perceptual development and its relation to the development of production, and second-language acquisition.

Author : Martin Pütz
Publisher : John Benjamins Publishing
Page : 453 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 1997-01-01
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9789027218315

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Language Choices by Martin Pütz Pdf

This volume concerns various aspects of the theory and application of language conflict phenomena seen from an interdisciplinary perspective. The focus is on linguistic, social, psychological and educational issues (conditions, constraints and consequences) involved in the status and use of languages in multilingual settings. The book is divided into four sections, which deal with: theoretical issues - such as the nature of the concepts of language maintenance; language policy and language planning; attitudes towards languages; and codeswitching and language choice.