ABSTRACT
Children acquire language without apparent effort. This chapter examines the requirements for language acquisition. What biological, cognitive, and social precursors are necessary for us to acquire language normally? How are language processes related to structures in the brain? Is language unique to humans? What mechanisms need to be in place before language development can begin? What affects the rate of linguistic development? What are the consequences of different types of impairment or deprivation for language? The chapter also examines how language is related to other cognitive processes. By the end of this chapter, you should:
x Know how language might have evolved. x Know about animal communication systems
and be able to say how they differ from human language.
