Research Catalog

The language myth : why language is not an instinct / Vyvyan Evans.

Title
The language myth : why language is not an instinct / Vyvyan Evans.
Author
Evans, Vyvyan
Publication
Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2014.

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Details

Description
xi, 304 pages; 22 cm
Summary
"Language is central to our lives, the cultural tool that arguably sets us apart from other species. Some scientists have argued that language is innate, a type of unique human 'instinct' pre-programmed in us from birth. In this book, Vyvyan Evans argues that this received wisdom is, in fact, a myth. Debunking the notion of a language 'instinct', Evans demonstrates that language is related to other animal forms of communication; that languages exhibit staggering diversity; that we learn our mother tongue drawing on general properties and abilities of the human mind, rather than an inborn 'universal' grammar; and that, ultimately, language and the mind reflect and draw upon the way we interact with others in the world. Compellingly written and drawing on cutting-edge research, The Language Myth sets out a forceful alternative to the received wisdom, showing how language and the mind really work"--
Subject
  • Linguistic universals
  • Cognitive grammar
  • Innateness hypothesis (Linguistics)
  • Language and languages > Philosophy
  • Psycholinguistics
  • LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES > Linguistics > General
  • Sprache
  • Sprachursprung
  • Denken
  • Sprachliche Universalien
  • Kognitive Grammatik
  • Language
  • Linguistics
  • Communication
Bibliography (note)
  • Includes bibliographical references (pages 274-300) and index.
Processing Action (note)
  • committed to retain
Contents
1. Language and mind rethought -- 2. Is human language unrelated to animal communication systems -- 3. Are there language universals -- 4. Is language innate -- 5. Is language a distinct module in the mind? -- 6. Is there a universal Mentalese? -- 7. Is thought independent of language? -- 8. Language and mind regained.
ISBN
  • 9781107619753
  • 1107619750
  • 9781107043961
  • 1107043964
LCCN
  • ^^2014014932
  • 40024121949
OCLC
  • 880418779
  • SCSB-11176689
Owning Institutions
Harvard Library