Introduction to Language Development

Introduction to Language Development, Third Edition offers a highly accessible overview to the complexities of language development. The textbook is designed for use in language acquisition courses in undergraduate and graduate speech-language pathology programs to facilitate both teaching and learning. Complex terminology and theories are explained through definitions and examples to ensure that students are able to easily grasp the content. Within the third edition of this text, students are presented with language factors—syntax, semantics, phonology, morphology, and pragmatics—as well as the cognitive abilities that underlie language development. Multilingual and multicultural differences are explored throughout.

Key Features

• Case studies allow instructors to involve students more fully in classroom discussion, along with developing their critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Chapter learning objectives allow students to understand the scope and goals of the chapter
• Study questions allow instructors to engage students in discussions of the material and ensure students grasp and retain the information
• Tables and figures provide examples and evidence that elaborate and clarify the information presented
• A comprehensive glossary helps students locate the definitions of key terms
• PluralPlus online ancillary materials include eFlashcards and multiple choice questions that assess students’ knowledge of the content in each chapter and PowerPoint lecture slides for instructors to present material from each chapter

New to the Third Edition

• Expanded focus on diversity and the role that culture plays in language learning
• Updated to reflect the increased impact of technology in literacy and learning
• Improved readability through the introduction of terminology, concepts, and practical strategies that will be encountered in chapters that follow
• The inclusion of new terminology that reflects patient-centric language and updated terms that respect diversity of individuals served by speech-language pathologists and audiologists

PluralPlus Online Ancillary Materials

For Instructors: PowerPoint Lecture Slides

For Students: eFlashcards and Multiple Choice Study Questions 

Sandra Levey, PhD, is Professor Emerita at the City University of New York, Lehman College. She received her PhD in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY) and an MA in linguistics at Stanford University, with a minor in African Studies. Dr. Levey has been designated by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Board of Child Language and Language Disorders as a Board Certified Specialist in Child Language. She has received research grants for study at Bayero University in Kano, Nigeria and as a research consultant in Bratislava, Slovakia. Dr. Levey was the conference coordinator of the Seventeenth Annual Stanford Child Language Research Forum that focused on multilingual research. Her research and publications have focused on multilingualism and multiculturalism. She is a member of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP) and is the chair of the Multilingual and Multicultural Affairs Committee of the IALP. She is the senior editor and chapter author of Language Development: Understanding Diversity in the Classroom, a textbook designed for pre-teachers understanding of diversity in the classrooms. Photo credit: Roy Volkmann