Child Language Acquisition: Contrasting Theoretical Approaches

Ben Ambridge; Elena V. M. Lieven

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511975073

Child Language Acquisition

Contrasting Theoretical Approaches

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Is children's language acquisition based on innate linguistic structures or built from cognitive and communicative skills? This book summarises the major theoretical debates in all of the core domains of child language acquisition research (phonology, word-learning, inflectional morphology, syntax and binding) and includes a complete introduction to the two major contrasting theoretical approaches: generativist and constructivist. For each debate, the predictions of the competing accounts are closely and even-handedly evaluated against the empirical data. The result is an evidence-based review of the central issues in language acquisition research that will constitute a valuable resource for students, teachers, course-builders and researchers alike.

‘The focus on theoretical debates, and inclusion of multiple methodologies, is welcome, valuable, and informative.’

Letitia Naigles - University of Connecticut

‘… an excellent first step towards opening a dialog and closing the gap between generative and constructivist approaches to language learning, allowing progress beyond the traditional nature-nurture dialectic in language science … Readers will see how theory-driven investigation in language acquisition can advance our understanding of the unique human capacity for language.’

Jeffrey Lidz - University of Maryland

‘… an unusual and very important book. The question of how children acquire their native language is of tremendous interest to scholars in a broad range of fields. Not surprisingly, it has also led to many lively disagreements. Ambridge and Lieven have chosen to focus on these theoretical debates. The coverage of issues is impressive, but even more impressive is the extraordinarily careful and detailed analyses of competing theories and of the empirical data. The authors' treatments are fair and even-handed … The result is an extremely valuable contribution to the literature, and one that significantly advances our understanding of the field.’

Jeff Elman - University of California, San Diego

‘An ambitious, comprehensive and remarkably up-to-date adventure in adjudicating between nativist and constructivist approaches to human language acquisition. There's still room left for disagreement, especially on matters of interpretation, but graduate students and newcomers to the field of language acquisition who want to know the lay of the land would do well to start here.’

Gary Marcus - New York University and author of The Birth of the Mind and Kluge: The Haphazard Evolution of the Human Mind

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-iv
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Contents
pp v-vi
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List of figures
pp vii-ix
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List of tables
pp x-x
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List of boxes
pp xi-xi
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List of summary tables
pp xii-xii
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Preface
pp xiii-xiv
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Acknowledgements
pp xv-xvi
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1 - Introduction
pp 1-12
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2 - Speech perception, segmentation and production
pp 13-60
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3 - Learning word meanings
pp 61-102
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4 - Theoretical approaches to grammar acquisition
pp 103-136
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5 - Inflection
pp 137-190
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6 - Simple syntax
pp 191-268
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7 - Movement and complex syntax
pp 269-313
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8 - Binding, quantification and control
pp 314-358
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9 - Related debates and conclusions
pp 359-376
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Notes
pp 377-386
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References
pp 387-426
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Author index
pp 427-431
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Subject index
pp 432-448
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Child Language Acquisition

Contrasting Theoretical Approaches

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-iv

Contents
pp v-vi

List of figures
pp vii-ix

List of tables
pp x-x

List of boxes
pp xi-xi

List of summary tables
pp xii-xii

Preface
pp xiii-xiv

Acknowledgements
pp xv-xvi

1 - Introduction
pp 1-12

2 - Speech perception, segmentation and production
pp 13-60

3 - Learning word meanings
pp 61-102

4 - Theoretical approaches to grammar acquisition
pp 103-136

5 - Inflection
pp 137-190

6 - Simple syntax
pp 191-268

7 - Movement and complex syntax
pp 269-313

8 - Binding, quantification and control
pp 314-358

9 - Related debates and conclusions
pp 359-376

Notes
pp 377-386

References
pp 387-426

Author index
pp 427-431

Subject index
pp 432-448

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Altmetric attention score

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Book summary page views

Accessibility standard: Unknown

Why this information is here

Accessibility Information

Child Language Acquisition

Contrasting Theoretical Approaches

Book description

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Contents

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