Direct Objects and Language Acquisition

Direct object omission is a common phenomenon in languages, and this book explores experimental approaches to object acquisition in children. It suggests that missing objects should not be seen as a deficit but as a continuous process of knowledge integration, and presents a new model of how this aspect of grammar is innately represented from birth.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 249 pages
Publication date: 29 October 2020
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Direct object omission is a common phenomenon observed in different languages around the world, varying in its prevalence. The expression of verbal transitivity in young children begins with the regular use of verbs without their corresponding objects, even in situations where object omissions are prohibited in the surrounding language. This phenomenon is rooted in generative grammar and learnability theory, and this book offers a comprehensive exploration of experimental approaches to object acquisition. It is the first to examine how children rely on the lexical, structural, and pragmatic components to understand the system. The findings presented in this book suggest that missing objects in child language should not be perceived as a deficiency but rather as a continuous process of knowledge integration. The book advocates for a new model of how this aspect of grammar is inherently represented from birth. This book is an invaluable resource for advanced students and researchers in language acquisition and syntactic theory, as well as for non-specialist readers interested in understanding the development of language.

Direct object omission is a common phenomenon observed in different languages around the world, varying in its prevalence.

The expression of verbal transitivity in young children begins with the regular use of verbs without their corresponding objects, even in situations where object omissions are prohibited in the surrounding language. This phenomenon is rooted in generative grammar and learnability theory, and this book offers a comprehensive exploration of experimental approaches to object acquisition. It is the first to examine how children rely on the lexical, structural, and pragmatic components to understand the system. The findings presented in this book suggest that missing objects in child language should not be perceived as a deficiency but rather as a continuous process of knowledge integration. The book advocates for a new model of how this aspect of grammar is inherently represented from birth. This book is an invaluable resource for advanced students and researchers in language acquisition and syntactic theory, as well as for non-specialist readers interested in understanding the development of language.

Weight: 374g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108941013