The Logical Problem of Language Acquisition

This collection of articles and associated discussion papers focuses on a problem that has attracted increasing attention from linguists and psychologists throughout the world during the past several years. Reduced to essentials, the problem is that of discovering the character of the mental capacities that make it possible for human beings to attain knowledge of their language on the basis of fragmentary and haphazard early linguistic experience. A fundamental assumption running through all of these contributions is that people possess strong innate predispositions that are critical for success in this task.

About the author

John McCarthy is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Applied Psychology at University College, Cork.

Product details

• Assisted by: C. L. Baker (Editor), John J Mccarthy (Editor)
• Publisher: The MIT Press
• Content: Book
• Product form: Paperback / Softback
• Publication date: 17.03.2003
• Subject: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > Other languages / Other literatures
• EAN: 9780262523899
• ISBN: 978-0-262-52389-9
• Pages: 376
• Dimensions (packing): 15.2 x 22.9 x 2.3 cm
• Weight (packing): 609 g