| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8838116 | Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences | 2018 | 5 Pages |
Abstract
Since the Enlightenment period, natural theories of speech and language evolution have florished in the language sciences. Four ever returning core issues are highlighted in this paper: Firstly, Is language natural to man or just an invention? Secondly, Is language a specific human ability (a 'language instinct') or does it arise from general cognitive capacities we share with other animals? Thirdly, Has the evolution of language been a gradual process or did it rather suddenly arise, due to some 'evolutionary twist'? Lastly, Is the child's language acquisition an appropriate model for language evolution?
Related Topics
Life Sciences
Neuroscience
Behavioral Neuroscience
Authors
Willem JM Levelt,