The paper introduces a new perspective on abstract concepts (eg “freedom”) and their
associate words representation, the Words As social Tools (WAT) view. Traditional theories …

Research on literacy development is increasingly making clear the centrality of oral
language to long‐term literacy development, with longitudinal studies revealing the …

Parents' responsiveness to infants' exploratory and communicative behaviors predicts infant
word learning during early periods of language development. We examine the processes …

Contingent interactions between caregivers and infants, in which caregivers respond
promptly and meaningfully to infants' behaviors, lay a foundation for language learning …

Language learning takes place in the context of social interactions, yet the mechanisms that
render social interactions useful for learning language remain unclear. This study focuses …

Since the mid-20th century, scientists have observed unique features in speech, facial
expression, and content directed to infants and toddlers in comparison to speech directed to …

The human potential for language is based in human biology but makes requirements of the
social environment to be realized. This paper reports evidence regarding (1) the nature of …

Is children's language acquisition based on innate linguistic structures or built from cognitive
and communicative skills? This book summarises the major theoretical debates in all of the …

Describes patterns of general communication development and of English specificity,
emphasizing individual patterns. This edition devotes more attention to individual …

The central focus of this text is language development as a field of basic research, but
applied issues are also considered. Chapter 1 provides an overview and history of the field …