First and Second Language Acquisition: Parallels and Differences (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics)

✍ Scribed by Jürgen M. Meisel

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 322
• Series: Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Infants and very young children develop almost miraculously the ability of speech, without apparent effort, without even being taught - as opposed to the teenager or the adult struggling without, it seems, ever being able to reach the same level of proficiency as five-year olds in their first language. This useful textbook serves as a guide to different types of language acquisition: monolingual and bilingual first language development and child and adult second language acquisition. Unlike other books, it systematically compares first and second language acquisition, drawing on data from several languages. Research questions and findings from various subfields are helpfully summarized to show students how they are related and how they often complement each other. The essential guide to studying first and second language acquisition, it will be used on courses in linguistics, modern languages and developmental psychology.

✦ Table of Contents

Half-title......Page 5
Title......Page 7
Contents......Page 11
Figures......Page 13
Tables......Page 14
Preface......Page 15
Abbreviations......Page 19
1.1 Two types of language acquisition – One kind of language making capacity?......Page 21
1.2 Relating first and second language acquisition......Page 22
1.3 Searching for the questions to ask......Page 29
Topics for discussion......Page 31
2.1 Universal Grammar and the LAD......Page 33
2.2 Milestones of first language development......Page 41
2.3 Functional categories in early child grammar......Page 57
2.4 Parameters in first language development......Page 69
Topics for discussion......Page 80
3.1 Observable phenomena......Page 82
3.2 Acquisition orders: Grammatical morphemes......Page 83
3.3 Developmental sequences: The syntax of negation......Page 93
3.4 A preliminary balance......Page 106
Suggested readings......Page 107
Topics for discussion......Page 108
4.1 Transitional interlanguage grammars?......Page 110
4.2 The initial state of L2 grammatical knowledge......Page 111
4.3 Transfer of knowledge or knowledgeable transfer?......Page 129
4.4 Beyond the initial state: Approximative systems......Page 139
Topics for discussion......Page 157
5.1 Access to UG principles in L2 acquisition......Page 159
5.2 Parameter (re)setting......Page 164
5.3 Inductive learning......Page 190
5.4 Some fundamental differences between L1 and L2 acquisition......Page 211
Suggested readings......Page 219
Topics for discussion......Page 220
6.1 Sensitive phases for language acquisition......Page 222
6.2 Child second language acquisition......Page 231
6.3 Syntactic processing in the second language......Page 243
6.4 A note on ultimate attainment in second language acquisition......Page 253
Suggested readings......Page 258
Topics for discussion......Page 259
7.1 Similarities and differences across types of language acquisition......Page 260
7.2 Exploring the limits of the LAD......Page 266
7.3 The hybrid nature of second language knowledge......Page 271
Glossary......Page 276
2. First language development......Page 285
4. The initial state and beyond......Page 286
5. Developing grammatical knowledge......Page 287
6. Neural maturation and age......Page 288
7. A (tentative) theory of language acquisition......Page 289
References......Page 290
Index......Page 315

✦ Subjects

Языки и языкознание;Лингвистика;Психолингвистика;