Language and the Learning Curve
A New Theory of Syntactic Development
Anat Ninio
Reviews and Awards
"Interesting and provocative theoretical proposal, supported by empirical evidence...this book presents a very interesting and well-researched proposal for the acquisition of syntax...It is worth reading for anyone interested in formal modelling of language learning."--International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders
"Ninio draws together a substantial body of knowledge in an admirable attempt to combine current theories in language acquisition, While intergrating linguistic as well as psychological theories into her own framework ofsyntactic development, she rigorously disposes of cherished notions in both traditions. Her ideas are thought-provoking and critical. Thus, her theory invites students in the field of language acquisition to critically assess its central tenets with relation to usage-based accounts of language as well as generative linguistics... this is a fascinating volume that provides an intricate and stimulating read, recommended to everyone interested in integrative accounts of child language development."--Child Language Bulletin
"Language and the Learning Curve is a breakthrough achievement, elegantly and logically presented, solidly based on evidence from child language research and expertise in current theoretical linguistics."--Katherine Nelson, Department of Psychology, Graduate Center, City University of New York
"This book is very interesting for researchers of language acquisition and for specialists who work on how to make computers understand language and how to link language with broader knowledge networks."--Liu Haitao, Applied and Computational Linguistics, Communication University of China, Beijing
"Anat Ninio has forged a unique role for herself in the field of language acquisition as a creative and innovative researcher... Ninio continuously thinks across theoretical and disciplinary divides in highly constructive ways. Her book presents challenges to received wisdoms in all parts of the field and really makes one think!"--Elena Lieven, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany, and the University of Manchester, UK
"I used the book in one of my MSc courses where it was very popular. The students... were excited about the approach and welcomed it as interesting and refreshingly healthy in wedding well the theory and data and yielding specific predictions. This is one of the reasons I intend to keep using the book in the future!"--Barbora Skarabela, Lecturer, Linguistics and English Language, University of Edinburgh