Keith E. Nelson - Böcker

The Many Faces of Imitation in Language Learning takes a fresh look at imitation in the wake of more than twenty years of highly productive research on child language acquisition. The book presents recent work in language acquisition by experts in first language acquistion, cognitive child development, and related fields. The chapters, many of which contain data not yet published, reflect diverse approaches to imitation and to the study of language learning. Imitation is examined from infancy through all stages of language development and many sides of imitation functions are discussed: cognitive, information processing, social, learning and biological. Individual differences among children in their use of imitation and the forms and functions of parent imitation are examined. Second language acquisition is studied alongside first language acquisition. These new approaches to imitation show how this concept can help us to further understand the social, information processing, learning, and biological processes in language acquisition, in language delay and in second language acquisition.This book is intended for researchers who are interested in the processes of language development.

These volumes present coherent sets of papers developed along two of the thematic lines that underscored the program of the meeting of the International Association for the Study of Child Language in Istanbul in the summer of 1996. Thoroughly reviewed and updated to reflect the state of child language research and theory--particularly in the domains of discourse and interaction--they convey not only the flavor of that meeting but some of the most exciting trends in the field today. Each contribution in Volume 10,Developing Narrative and Discourse Competence, focuses on the differential effects of discourse genres, elicitation techniques, communicative contexts, literacy and schooling, and the oft-cited variables of age, language, and culture. Issues concerning the interrelations between social, cognitive, and affective capacities and processes in discourse are addressed. Each chapter raises theoretical questions regarding how and when representations are constructed to support new complexities. Presenting data from a cross-cultural and cross-linguistic perspective, this volume highlights both the particulars and the universals of the processes involved. The chapters in Volume 11, Interactional Contributions to Language Development, address issues including scaffolding of processing and learning in particular interactional sequences; linkages among interpersonal functions or relations, cognitive development, and semantic, syntactic, and pragmatic devices or forms; and models of how interactions proceed, input is selected, and learning advances across multiple rounds of interaction. Each of these volumes will be a valuable addition to the libraries of all who study the development of language.

These volumes present coherent sets of papers developed along two of the thematic lines that underscored the program of the meeting of the International Association for the Study of Child Language in Istanbul in the summer of 1996. Thoroughly reviewed and updated to reflect the state of child language research and theory--particularly in the domains of discourse and interaction--they convey not only the flavor of that meeting but some of the most exciting trends in the field today. Each contribution in Volume 10, Developing Narrative and Discourse Competence, focuses on the differential effects of discourse genres, elicitation techniques, communicative contexts, literacy and schooling, and the oft-cited variables of age, language, and culture. Issues concerning the interrelations between social, cognitive, and affective capacities and processes in discourse are addressed. Each chapter raises theoretical questions regarding how and when representations are constructed to support new complexities. Presenting data from a cross-cultural and cross-linguistic perspective, this volume highlights both the particulars and the universals of the processes involved. The chapters in Volume 11, Interactional Contributions to Language Development, address issues including scaffolding of processing and learning in particular interactional sequences; linkages among interpersonal functions or relations, cognitive development, and semantic, syntactic, and pragmatic devices or forms; and models of how interactions proceed, input is selected, and learning advances across multiple rounds of interaction. Each of these volumes will be a valuable addition to the libraries of all who study the development of language.

Each child is spoken to by genetic heritage and by the rich current set of interactional environments -- familial, local community, and broader cultural voices. Using past structures and paradigms of scholarship, scholars seek to understand what the child achieves in language and how. The tools available for this research are not static but evolve jointly through the sharing of information, and with each "brief moment in time" in efforts to look at children's languages "just as they are." Containing a wide range of contributions from developmental approaches to phonological ability, the lexicon, the grammar as well as conversation and sign language, this text details the interrelated research and theorizing discussed at a recent Budapest conference. The meeting of the International Association for the Study of Child Languages was particularly rich in the diversity of scholars present, which is highly appropriate because such diversity is integral to an informed study of children's language.

These volumes present coherent sets of papers developed along two of the thematic lines that underscored the program of the meeting of the International Association for the Study of Child Language in Istanbul in the summer of 1996. Thoroughly reviewed and updated to reflect the state of child language research and theory--particularly in the domains of discourse and interaction--they convey not only the flavor of that meeting but some of the most exciting trends in the field today. Each contribution in Volume 10, Developing Narrative and Discourse Competence, focuses on the differential effects of discourse genres, elicitation techniques, communicative contexts, literacy and schooling, and the oft-cited variables of age, language, and culture. Issues concerning the interrelations between social, cognitive, and affective capacities and processes in discourse are addressed. Each chapter raises theoretical questions regarding how and when representations are constructed to support new complexities. Presenting data from a cross-cultural and cross-linguistic perspective, this volume highlights both the particulars and the universals of the processes involved. The chapters in Volume 11, Interactional Contributions to Language Development, address issues including scaffolding of processing and learning in particular interactional sequences; linkages among interpersonal functions or relations, cognitive development, and semantic, syntactic, and pragmatic devices or forms; and models of how interactions proceed, input is selected, and learning advances across multiple rounds of interaction. Each of these volumes will be a valuable addition to the libraries of all who study the development of language.

Each child is spoken to by genetic heritage and by the rich current set of interactional environments -- familial, local community, and broader cultural voices. Using past structures and paradigms of scholarship, scholars seek to understand what the child achieves in language and how. The tools available for this research are not static but evolve jointly through the sharing of information, and with each "brief moment in time" in efforts to look at children's languages "just as they are." Containing a wide range of contributions from developmental approaches to phonological ability, the lexicon, the grammar as well as conversation and sign language, this text details the interrelated research and theorizing discussed at a recent Budapest conference. The meeting of the International Association for the Study of Child Languages was particularly rich in the diversity of scholars present, which is highly appropriate because such diversity is integral to an informed study of children's language.

In this book we take a fresh look at imitation. With the knowledge of some 20 years of research after Chomsky's initial critique of the behavioristic approach to language learning, it is time to explore imitation once again. How imitation is viewed in this book has changed greatly since the 1950s and can only be under­ stood by reading the various contributions. This reading reveals many faces, many forms, many causes, and many functions of imitation-cognitive, social, information processing, learning, and biological. Some views are far removed from the notion that an imitation must occur immediately or that it must be a per­ fect copy of an adult sentence. But the essence of the concept of imitation is retained: Some of the child's language behavior originates as an imitation of a prior model. The range of phenomena covered is broad and stimulating. Imitation's role is discussed from infancy on through all stages of language learning. Individual differences among children are examined in how much they use imitation, and in what forms and to what purposes they use it. The forms and functions of parent imitation of their child are considered. Second-language learning is studied alongside first-language learning. The juxtaposition of so many views and facets of imitation in this book will help us to study the commonalities as well as differences of various forms and functions of imitative language and will help us to discern the further dimensions along which we must begin to differentiate imitation.