Language Development

Erika Hoff's LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT, 4th Edition communicates both the content and the excitement of this quickly evolving field. By presenting a balanced treatment that examines all sides of the issues, Hoff helps readers understand different theoretical points of view -- and the research processes that have lead theorists to their findings. After an overview and history of the field, Hoff thoroughly covers the biological bases of language development and the core topics of phonological, lexical, and syntactic development. She also provides in-depth discussions of the communicative foundations of language, the development of communicative competence, language development in special populations, childhood bilingualism, and language development in the school years. "Erika Hoff's Language Development communicates both the content and the excitement of this quickly evolving field. By presenting a balanced treatment that examines all sides of arguments, the author helps readers understand different theoretical points of view - and the research process that has led theorists to their findings. After an overview and history of the field, Hoff presents thorough coverage of the biological bases of language development and the core topics of phonological, lexical, and syntactic development, as well as development of communicative competence, language development in special populations, and childhood bilingualism."--BOOK JACKET.

Hoff provides an introduction to the study of language development for advanced undergraduates studying psychology, linguistics, education, or communicative disorders. The third edition adds substantially to the chapter on childhood bilingualism and contains a new chapter on language in the school years that discusses the role of school experiences in oral language development. The text also has been updated to reflect research published since the previous edition. Hoff teaches at Florida Atlantic U. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR