Language Acquisition: The Basics

Description

Language Acquisition: The Basics is an accessible introduction to the must-know issues in child language development. Covering key topics drawn from contemporary psychology, linguistics and neuroscience, readers are introduced to fundamental concepts, methods, controversies, and discoveries. It follows the remarkable journey children take; from becoming sensitive to language before birth, to the time they string their first words together; from when they use language playfully, to when they tell stories, hold conversations, and share complex ideas. Using examples from 73 different languages, Ibbotson sets this development in a diverse cross-cultural context, as well as describing the universal psychological foundations that allow language to happen. This book, which includes further reading suggestions in each chapter and a glossary of key terms, is the perfect easy-to-understand introductory text for students, teachers, clinicians or anyone with an interest in language development. Drawing together the latest research on typical, atypical and multilingual development, it is the concise beginner's guide to the field. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Contents The author 1. Making the ordinary extraordinary Introduction What this book promises Children just copy the language they hear around them, right? What is the big deal? So kids make mistakes sometimes, but they get it right eventually don't they...? Why does any of this matter? How did we get here? Summary More to explore 2. Social and cognitive foundations of communication Early learning centre Where are the words? Intention reading Dyadic Interaction Imitation and norms Triadic interaction Social cognition and language acquisition Summary More to explore 3. The birth of language Pointing and gesturing Iconic and conventional gestures Vocalisations and babbling The birth of sound - from brain to lungs to lips Phoneme age-of-acquisition Sign language Child Directed Speech What are the effects of CDS on language development? First words Sources of similarity and differences Part-to-whole and whole-to-part Summary More to explore 4. Understanding and expressing language Comprehension and production Models of development Linear Interactional Transactional The meaning of words Essentialism, functionalism - words are what they do Syntactic bootstrapping A Bayesian approach to word meaning Caregivers' role in cuing meaning The naming explosion, vocabulary explosion, word spurt Summary More to explore 5. Putting words together From one to two words From two words to three words Telegraphic speech Mean Length of Utterance - more than words Slot and frames and schematisation Networks built from sound, meaning and grammar Phonological Semantic Structural/syntactic Summary More to explore 6. The shape of development The shape of development Retreat from errors If grammar is the solution, what is the problem? Phonological errors Event Related Potentials (ERP) Magnetoencephalography (MEG) Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) Summary More to explore 7. The rules of conversation and how to break them Maxim of Quality - Be Truthful Maxim of quantity - quantity of information Maxim of relevance - be relevant Maxim of manner - be clear Nicaraguan Sign Language (NSL) - Lenguaje de Señas Nicaragüense Stories Summary More to explore 8. What we have learned, what we don't understand Complexity Human nature Diversity More to explore List of languages featured Glossary International phonetic alphabet References A general sketch of language development Index