Child’s Path to Spoken Language

John L. Locke is Lecturer on Neurology, Harvard Medical School. He is Director of the Neurolinguistics Laboratory and of the Graduate Program in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital.

In a fascinating, scholarly and clearly written account, [Locke] takes us to the brink of language proper by examining its perceptual, social, neural and cognitive precursors from before birth to the appearance of the first recognizable words.

• A Biolinguistic Approach to Language Development Faces and Voices: The Perceptual Path to Spoken Communication The Social Capacity for Spoken Language Vocal Communication and Vocal Learning The Infant Becomes Articulate The Neural Specialization for Linguistic Communication Development of the Neural Capacity for Linguistic Communication The Urge to Convey and the Capacity for Reference Development of Spoken Language Other Paths: The Neurobiology of Linguistic Variation Reflections on the Path to Language References Credits Index