Our journey to language begins before birth, as babies in the womb hear clearly enough to distinguish their mother's voice. Canvassing a broad span of experimental and theoretical approaches, this book introduces ways of looking at language development.
Matthew and Mum are worried about their dog, Bear. Bear sits around a lot, and Mum thinks he's overweight. The vet says he needs to go on a diet. But after several weeks, Bear still hasn't lost any weight! And he keeps getting out of the backyard. What is Bear getting up to?
“A big tree has fallen down over the road! BJ and his tow truck, Toby, need to move it so the cars can get past.”--Back cover.
Matthew's dog, Bear, is his best friend. But Bear is very old now. He can't run after a ball any more, and he limps a lot. Mum says that they are going to have to make a hard decision soon.
Bear is a big, brown dog. He belongs to Matthew, who lives next to the school. Matthew is cross when Bear gets out and comes to school. But someone needs Bear's help today!
Our journey to language begins before birth, as babies in the womb can distinguish their mother's voice. This book introduces innovative perspectives on language development through a blend of experimental and theoretical approaches. It features a unique mother-daughter collaboration, combining the insights of a well-known scholar with the fresh outlook of a younger colleague ready to challenge prevailing views. The result is a comprehensive overview of language acquisition, covering fetal speech processing, child grammar development, and the advanced linguistic skills of adolescence, such as conversation and storytelling. With real-world examples and psychological research, Kyra Karmiloff and Annette Karmiloff-Smith examine how language users acquire words and grammar. They evaluate various theories of language acquisition, highlight how adolescent language has shifted meanings, and explore how modern life has influenced the lexicon. Additionally, they address atypical language development and engage with theoretical debates surrounding nativism, empiricism, and the uniqueness of human language. Their nuanced and open-minded approach invites readers to explore the complexity and richness of the pathways to language acquisition.
