Two questions are central to the psycholinguistic study of first language acquisition. What structural and functional factors determine the acquisition process? What are universal and language-specific aspects of this process? This introductory chapter first presents the general theoretical thrust adopted in this book to address these two questions (Section 1.1). Particular attention is placed on the distinction between the forms and functions of language, the need to relate the sentence and discourse levels of linguistic organisation, and the importance of cross-linguistic comparisons for the study of language acquisition. I then indicate more specific developmental questions that arise in three domains of language to be examined thoroughly in this book: reference to entities, the expression of motion and location, and temporal organisation in discourse (Section 1.2). Finally, this chapter closes with an overview of the contents to be found in subsequent chapters (Section 1.3).

Acquiring language

First language acquisition is a complex process involving two facets: all children acquire the type of semiotic system that is characteristic of our species (human language), while acquiring the particular language that surrounds them (their native language). Providing an adequate account of both facets is perhaps the most difficult puzzle to be solved by theories of language acquisition. The central developmental argument put forth in this book is twofold and can be summarised as follows. First, regardless of their particular native language, children's main task is to relate the forms and functions of language (Section 1.1.1).