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Language Learnability and Language Development : With New Commentary by the Author by Steven Pinker; with new commentary by the author is a nonfiction available to read on EtoBox.

What is Language Learnability and Language Development : With New Commentary by the Author about?

At first glance, this appeared to be a more formidable effort than "The Language Instinct", which seemed aimed at a very wide (and perhaps more credulous) audience. However, the argument seems fairly simple: 1. A grammar can be abstracted from speech (in this case, English speech) based on observed regularities. 2. We can observe a change in a child's speech as he/she moves from simpler to more complex grammatical forms. So we can identify each such change in terms of the starting and ending forms. 3. For any such changes, we surmise the child has come up with one or more rules to enable him/her to acquire the more complex form. The focus seems to be predominantly on the lexical and syntactical forms. Semantics seemed to be mentioned but not much of a concern here. Behaviorists, on the other hand, tend to emphasize the function of speech (although not discounting the importance of syntax). So, as a probably very naive example, consider a child who can say "Give me the apple". Pinker may have noted that the syntax is correct but omits the use of an adjective. Skinner may be wondering whether the child's statement will be reinforced by being given an apple. Now suppose at some l

Who reads Language Learnability and Language Development : With New Commentary by the Author?

Author

Steven Pinker; with new commentary by the author

Publisher

Harvard University, Department of Sanskrit & Indian Studies

Published

1996

Language

EN

ISBN

9780674031432

Category

nonfiction

Subjects

Linguistics, Psychology, Education