Contributors identified only by name, presumably linguists, explain some methods being used to study influences between languages now that interest in such influence has expanded beyond how first lang
This book offers a comprehensive study of language development. The contributors, all well-known psychologists, represent a very broad range of theoretical persuasion. Each chapter summarises research on a major problem and relates results to fundamental questions about how children acquire language. Among the issues treated are the role of input in acquisition, the processes of underlying lexical and semantic development, the implications of cross-linguistic research for acquisition theory, the pros and cons of functionalist approaches to language learning and the psychological consequences of a major new formal theory of language learning. In their long and thoughtful introduction, the editors demonstrate the complementarity of studies focused on seemingly separate problems and identify apparent trends, both theoretical and methodological. Taken together, these chapters provide an entry point into an increasingly complex field for the growing number of researchers and students in psy
Heritage languages are minority languages learned in a bilingual environment. These include immigrant languages, aboriginal or indigenous languages and historical minority languages. In the last two decades, heritage languages have become central to many areas of linguistic research, from bilingual language acquisition, education and language policies, to theoretical linguistics. Bringing together contributions from a team of internationally renowned experts, this Handbook provides a state-of-the-art overview of this emerging area of study from a number of different perspectives, ranging from theoretical linguistics to language education and pedagogy. Presenting comprehensive data on heritage languages from around the world, it covers issues ranging from individual aspects of heritage language knowledge to broader societal, educational, and policy concerns in local, global and international contexts. Surveying the most current issues and trends in this exciting field, it is essential
