Language Development and Individual Differences: A Study of Auxiliary Verb Learning

Brian Richards examines variation in children's early language development, with special emphasis on the auxiliary verb. He identifies significant variation both in the age and in the stage of emergence of auxiliaries, and in the rate, style and sequence of subsequent development. He relates some of these aspects to a tendency to acquire the auxiliary holistically, and others to the quality of interaction with the child's partners in conversation. This book will be valuable to all those interested in language acquisition, whether linguists, psychologists, or speech therapists.

This study examines variation in children's early language development, focusing on the auxiliary verb. Dr Richards identifies significant variation in both the age and stage of emergence of auxiliaries, and in the rate, style and sequence of subsequent development. Some aspects are shown to be related to a tendency to acquire the auxiliary holistically, others to the quality of interaction with the child's conversation partners.