Learnability and Cognition: The Acquisition of Argument Structure (Learning, Development, and Conceptual Change) [Paperback]

Steven Pinker (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: 17 and up | Series: Learning, Development, and Conceptual Change

When children learn a language, they soon are able to make surprisingly subtle distinctions: "donate them a book" sounds odd, for example, even though "give them a book" is perfectly natural. How can this happen, given that children do not confine themselves to the sentence types they hear, and are usually not corrected when they speak ungrammatically? Steven Pinker resolves this paradox in a detailed theory of how children acquire argument structure.In tackling a learning paradox that has challenged scholars for more than a decade, Pinker synthesizes a vast literature in linguistics and psycholinguistics and outlines explicit theories of the mental representation, learning, and development of verb meaning and verb syntax. The new theory that he describes has some surprising implications for the relation between language and thought.Pinker's solution provides insight into such key questions as, When do children generalize and when do they stick with what they hear? What is the rationale behind linguistic constraints? How is the syntax of predicates and arguments related to their semantics? What is a possible word meaning? Do languages force their speakers to construe the world in certain ways? Why does children's language seem different from that of adults?Steven Pinker is Associate Professor in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT. Learnability and Cognition is included in the series Learning, Development, and Conceptual Change, edited by Lila Gleitman, Susan Carey, Elissa Newport, and Elizabeth Spelke. A Bradford Book

Editorial Reviews

Review

" Learnability and Cognition is theoretically a big advance, beautifully reasoned, and a goldmine of information." Lila Gleitman

"Pinker's book is a monumental study that sets a new standard for work on learnability." Ray Jackendoff , Brandeis University

"Pinker's book is a monumental piece of work it sets a standard for work in learnability." Ray Jackendoff , Brandeis University

About the Author

Steven Pinker is Harvard College Professor and Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 427 pages
• Publisher: A Bradford Book (August 28, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262660733
• ISBN-13: 978-0262660730
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,065,227 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Steven Pinker is one of the world's leading authorities on language and the mind. His popular and highly praised books include The Stuff of Thought, The Blank Slate, Words and Rules, How the Mind Works, and The Language Instinct. The recipient of several major awards for his teaching, books, and scientific research, Pinker is Harvard College Professor and Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. He also writes frequently for The New York Times, Time, The New Republic, and other magazines.