Language Acquisition
Studies in First Language Development

An invaluable resource for students and professionals alike with an interest in child language acquisition.

Paul Fletcher (Edited by), Michael Garman (Edited by)

9780521277808, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 22 May 1986

628 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 3.5 cm, 0.91 kg

The aim of the first edition of Language Acquisition was to provide as comprehensive a description and explanation as possible of the changes in the child's language as he or she grows older. In this second edition Paul Fletcher and Michael Garman have the same fundamental aim. Six years later the field has not changed dramatically, but there have been fruitful theoretical developments - the learnability hypothesis, in particular, has been influentially expounded - and empirical work seeking evidence of specific language capacities in children has made notable advances. Equally significant are shifts in emphasis: the growing interest in cross-linguistic studies, for example, or accounts of language development of reading and writing. All these changes are reflected in the second edition. About half the chapters are entirely new, having been specially commissioned for this edition. The remainder of the book consists of substantially revised versions of chapters from the first edition. Like its predecessor, this collection is the work of distinguished specialists from many countries and will provide an invaluable resource for students and professionals alike who have an interest in the field of child language acquisition.

Preface
Part I. Contexts and Determinants: 1. Psychosocial aspects of language acquisition Maya Hickmann
2. Language acquisition and cognition Robin N. Campbell
3. Language acquisition and linguistic theory Helen Goodluck
4. Conversations with children Catherine E. Snow
5. Learnability Martin Atkinson
6. Variation in child language Gordon Wells
Part II. The Development of Linguistic Systems: Phonology: 7. Prespeech segmental feature development Rachel E. Stark
8. Prosodic development David Crystal
9. Early strategies for the perception and production of words and sounds Paula Menyuk, Lise Menn and Ronnie Silber
10. Phonological development: production David Ingram
11. Speech perception and the emergent lexicon: an ethological approach John L. Locke
12. Phonological development: a crosslinguistic perspective Marlys A. Macken
Part III. The Development of Linguistic Systems: Grammar: 13. Early vocabulary Patrick Griffiths
14. Early syntax Ann M. Peters
15. Assessing morphological development Bruce L. Derwing and William J. Baker
16. Personal pronouns Shulamuth Chiat
17. Tense and aspect Richard M. Weist
18. Modality Ursula Stephany
19. Deixis Roger Wales
20. A crosslinguistic perspective: morphology and syntax Ruth A. Berman
Part IV. Later Language Development: 21. Some fundamental aspects of language development after age 5 Annette Karmiloff-Smith
22. The development of reading: the acquisition of a cognitive skill Philip T. Smith
23. Language acquisition and writing Katherine Perera
Notes to chapters
Bibliography and citation index
General index.

Subject Areas: Language acquisition [CFDC]