Language Acquisition (Living Language Topic Books)

This text traces children's linguistic development back to birth and before. It addresses such questions as: does it matter how adults talk to babies?; when do babies start to learn language?; and can babies learn language from television? Students are encouraged to explore children's transition from an oral world to a written one and how this might influence the design of children's books. The beginnings of grammar, vocabulary and phonology are investigated, as are underlying theories of language acquisition such as those of Chomsky, Skinner and Bruner. The book is part of a series written to meet developments in the teaching of A Level English Language, and A Level English Language and Literature. The series is designed to fulfil assessment objectives specified for the 1998 AS and A Level syllabuses.