First and Second Language Acquisition: Parallels and Differences

Jürgen M. Meisel

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511862694

Infants and very young children develop almost miraculously the ability of speech, without apparent effort, without even being taught - as opposed to the teenager or the adult struggling without, it seems, ever being able to reach the same level of proficiency as five year olds in their first language. This useful textbook serves as a guide to different types of language acquisition: monolingual and bilingual first language development and child and adult second language acquisition. Unlike other books, it systematically compares first and second language acquisition, drawing on data from several languages. Research questions and findings from various subfields are helpfully summarized to show students how they are related and how they often complement each other. The essential guide to studying first and second language acquisition, it will be used on courses in linguistics, modern languages and developmental psychology.

‘… an excellent textbook on similarities and differences between first and second language acquisition, but also an insightful and provocative synthesis of research on this topic.’

Fred Genesee - McGill University

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-viii
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Contents
pp ix-x
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List of figures
pp xi-xi
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List of tables
pp xii-xii
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Preface
pp xiii-xvi
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List of abbreviations
pp xvii-xviii
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1 - The quest for the LAD
pp 1-12
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2 - First language development: Universal Grammar as the centrepiece of the human language making capacity
pp 13-61
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3 - Obvious (observable) similarities and differences between first and second language acquisition: Developmental sequences
pp 62-89
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4 - The initial state and beyond
pp 90-138
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5 - Developing grammatical knowledge: Parameter setting and inductive learning
pp 139-201
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6 - Neural maturation and age: Opening and closing windows of opportunities
pp 202-239
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7 - A (tentative) theory of language acquisition – L1, 2L1 and L2
pp 240-255
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Glossary
pp 256-264
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Notes
pp 265-269
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References
pp 270-294
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Index
pp 295-302
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First and Second Language Acquisition

Parallels and Differences

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-viii

Contents
pp ix-x

List of figures
pp xi-xi

List of tables
pp xii-xii

Preface
pp xiii-xvi

List of abbreviations
pp xvii-xviii

1 - The quest for the LAD
pp 1-12

2 - First language development: Universal Grammar as the centrepiece of the human language making capacity
pp 13-61

3 - Obvious (observable) similarities and differences between first and second language acquisition: Developmental sequences
pp 62-89

4 - The initial state and beyond
pp 90-138

5 - Developing grammatical knowledge: Parameter setting and inductive learning
pp 139-201

6 - Neural maturation and age: Opening and closing windows of opportunities
pp 202-239

7 - A (tentative) theory of language acquisition – L1, 2L1 and L2
pp 240-255

Glossary
pp 256-264

Notes
pp 265-269

References
pp 270-294

Index
pp 295-302

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First and Second Language Acquisition

Parallels and Differences

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Contents

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