A mind for language : an introduction to the innateness debate
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Bibliographic Information
A mind for language : an introduction to the innateness debate
Cambridge University Press, 2024 [i.e. 2023]
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Further reading (p. [560]-572) and index
Summary:"Illustrated with real-life examples throughout, this book provides a complete introduction to one of the most fundamental question about what it means to be human: how does human language arise in the mind? Theory is explained in an easy-to-understand way, making it accessible for students without a background in linguistics"-- Provided by publisher
Description and Table of Contents
Description
How does human language arise in the mind? To what extent is it innate, or something that is learned? How do these factors interact? The questions surrounding how we acquire language are some of the most fundamental about what it means to be human and have long been at the heart of linguistic theory. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to this fascinating debate, unravelling the arguments for the roles of nature and nurture in the knowledge that allows humans to learn and use language. An interdisciplinary approach is used throughout, allowing the debate to be examined from philosophical and cognitive perspectives. It is illustrated with real-life examples and the theory is explained in a clear, easy-to-read way, making it accessible for students without a background in linguistics. An accompanying website contains a glossary, questions for reflection, discussion themes and project suggestions, to further deepen students understanding of the material.
Table of Contents
- I. Introduction
- 1. What this book is about
- II. The never-ending debate
- 2. The innateness hypothesis
- 3. Philosophy of mind
- 4. Cognitive science
- 5. Modularity
- III. The mental grammar, language universals and language change
- 6. The organization of the mental grammar
- 7. Language universals
- 8. Language change
- IV. Language acquisition
- 9. Language acquisition: the road from input to mental grammar
- 10. Stages of language acquisition
- 11. Critical period effects
- 12. How children create new languages
- V. Language in a different modality
- 13. Sign languages
- VI. Winding up
- 14. Evaluating the arguments: a forum discussion.
by "Nielsen BookData"
