ABSTRACT
Until recently research on language development has focused almost entirely on childhood and early adulthood, dealing largely with first and second language acquisition and syndromes of language impairment, and more recently on the late life issues of language attrition, and (again) syndromes of language impairment. It is as if normal language development leveled off at some early point and remained perfectly stable for some 40-50 years. Nevertheless, we know, both intuitively and empirically, that both first and second languages are dynamic and changing throughout the lifespan-affected by myriad cognitive, psychological, social and cultural shifts, reversals, and advances. This book seeks to address this rather curious lacuna in the literature by bringing together a series of researchers who review key areas of language development from a lifespan perspective. The collection is representative but not exhaustive, and we offer it as a stimulus to further research.
