ExplanationsintheStudyofChildLanguageDevelopment(CambridgeStudiesinLinguistics)

DrAtkinson'sworkhasgrownoutofadeepsatisfactionwiththestateoftheorisinginchildlanguagedevelopment.Criticalanalysisofsuperficiallyattractivetheoriesshowedthattheyhadnorealexplanatorypower.Yetnocoherentframeworkhadbeenproposedforevaluatingtheorisinginthisarea.Acentraltenetofthisvolumeisthattheoriesoflanguagedevelopmentshouldberelatabletosomegeneralviewofhumandevelopmentand,onthisbasis,DrAtkinsonpresentsanumberofconditionsthatanyadequatetheoryoflanguagedevelopmentshouldsatisfy.Themajortheoriesinmostareasoflanguageacquisition,inparticularworkinsemantic,syntacticandfunctionaldevelopment,arethensystematicallyexaminedinthelightoftheseconditionsandfoundwanting.Inafinalchapter,theauthorrelateshisworktorecentstudiesintheformaltheoryoflearnability.Thisscholarlycritiqueshouldbereadbyanyonewithaseriousinterestinthestudyofchildlanguagedevelopmentandwillundoubtedlyhaveasingularimpactonthefield.