Language acquisition in the early years

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The study of language acquisition by children has been enriched by contribution from a wide range of discipline. These include psychology, sociology and philosophy as well as linguistics; 'paedolinguistics' was originally coined as a term to describe an approach to the subject whose essence was inter-disciplinary. It is now established as a broad- based field on its own, which draws on the work of researchers and practitioners in a variety of relevant subject areas such as psycho linguistics, sociolinguistics , cognitive development and social psychology.

Professor Oksaar here presents a comprehensive overview of the most influential European and American work in paedolinguistics since its beginning. Following a brief account of the development of the field , the theoretical and methodological foundations are outlined. The third section, the core of the book , then examines in detail the complex web of physiological, psychological, cultural and other factors which condition language acquisition from before birth to school age. The final chapter traces the stages of languages development, to the evolution of linguistic structures. The value of the book to students and researchers is greatly enhanced by extensive up to date bibliography and exceptionally full index.