Psycholinguistics & Language Acquisition, Cognitive Science, Psychology of Education, Developmental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology

Constructing a Language: A Usage-Based Theory of Language Acquisition

Name: Constructing a Language: A Usage-Based Theory of Language Acquisition
Author: Michael Tomasello
ISBN: 9780674044395

by Michael TOMASELLO

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Overview

In this groundbreaking book, Tomasello presents a comprehensive usage-based theory of language acquisition. Drawing together a vast body of empirical research in cognitive science, linguistics, and developmental psychology, Tomasello demonstrates that we don't need a self-contained "language instinct" to explain how children learn language. Their linguistic ability is interwoven with other cognitive abilities.

About the Author, Michael Tomasello

Michael Tomasello is Co-Director of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. He is the author of First Verbs and the coauthor of Primate Cognition.

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Tomasello offers an extended and detailed exposition of his 'usage-based' theory of language acquisition, which he contrasts to nativist or 'universal grammar' theories such as those of Noam Chomsky and of Steven Pinker...Throughout this masterfully written but stylistically and intellectually dense book, Tomasello reports extensively on current research and looks critically at the assumptions and assertions of his contemporaries.
— L. Bebout