xiv, 474 p. : 23 cm "A Bradford book." Includes bibliographical references (p. [429]-466) and index Machine generated contents note: Chapter 1 -- Basic Concepts I -- Introduction 1 -- 1.1 Reflections on the Course of Language Acquisition 1 -- 1.2 The Logical Problem of Language Acquisition 5 -- 1.3 The Notion of Grammar 5 -- 1.4 Constraints 8 -- 1.5 Where Does Knowledge of Language Come From? 10 -- 1.6 The Critical Period 20 -- Chapter 2 -- First Steps into Language 23 -- Introduction 23 -- 2.1 The Quest for the Native Language 24 -- 2.2 Learning the Phonemic Contrasts of the Native Language 40 -- 2.3 Infants' Speech Production 47 -- 2.4 Summary and Concluding Remarks 52 -- Chapter 3 -- Acquisition of the Lexicon 55 -- Introduction 55 -- 3.1 Why Finding Words Is a Problem 56 -- 3.2 Why Acquiring the Meaning of Words Is a Problem 74 -- 3.3 Acquisition of Verbs 80 -- 3.4 Bootstrapping of Syntax 90 -- 3.5 Summary and Concluding Remarks 96 -- Chapter 4 -- The Emergence of Syntax 101 -- Introduction 101 -- 4.1 Word Order in Children's Productions 101 -- 4.2 The Structure of Early Clauses 103 -- 4.3 The Subject Agreement Relation 120 -- 4.4 Root Infinitives 128 -- 4.5 Summary and Concluding Remarks 146 -- Chapter 5 -- Null Subjects in Early Languages 151 -- Introduction 15 -- 5.1 Parametric Accounts of Early Null Subjects 152 -- 5.2 Root Null Subjects 160 -- 5.3 Performance Accounts 179 -- 5.4 Summary and Concluding Remarks 183 -- Chapter 6 -- Acquisition of Wh-Movement 187 -- Introduction 187 -- 6.1 Question Formation in Early Systems 188 -- 6.2 Auxless Questions in Early English 202 -- 6.3 Long-Distance Wh-Movement 209 -- 6.4 Relative Clauses 220 -- 6.5 Summary and Concluding Remarks 240 -- Chapter 7 -- Acquisition of NP-Movement 245 -- Introduction 245 -- 7.1 Passive Constructions in Adult and Child Grammar 246 -- 7.2 A Maturational Account of Early Passive Constructions 252 -- 7.3 Problems with the Maturational Account 254 -- 7.4 New Findings about Early Passives 260 -- 7.5 Summary and Concluding Remarks 268 -- Chapter 8 -- Acquisition of the Binding Principles 271 -- Introduction 271 -- 8.1 The Binding Theory 272 -- 8.2 Principle A 285 -- 8.3 Principle B 290 -- 8.4 Principle C 300 -- 8.5 Summary and Concluding Remarks 308 -- Chapter 9 -- Aspects of the Acquisition of Quantification 313 -- Introduction 313 -- 9.1 Prerequisites for Handling Quantificational Structures 314 -- 9.2 The Structure of Quantified NPs and the Syntax-Semantics Mapping 316 -- 9.3 Children's Errors with Universal Quantification 329 -- 9.4 Summary and Concluding Remarks 343 -- Chapter 10 -- Acquisition of Control 347 -- Introduction 347 -- 10.1 Aspects of the Theory of Control 348 -- 10.2 The Structure-Changing Hypothesis 350 -- 10.3 The Maturation Iypothesis 356 -- 10.4 The Lexical-Syntactic Integration Hypothesis 365 -- 10.5 Summary and Concluding Remarks 371 -- Chapter 11 -- Dissociation between Language and Other Cognitive Abilities 375 -- Introduction 375 -- 11.1 Impaired Language in Otherwise Normal Children: Specific Language -- Impairment 376 -- 11.2 Approaches to Specific Language Impairment 378 -- 11.3 Relatively Intact Language in an Otherwise Impaired System: Williams -- Syndrome 398 -- 11.4 Summary and Concluding Remarks 403 -- Appendix A: Normal or Gaussian Distribution 405 -- Appendix B: Tests to Assess Specific Language Impairment 406 -- Notes 409 -- Glossary 423 -- References 429 -- Index 467