Logo image
What does it take to learn a word?
Journal article   Open access

What does it take to learn a word?

Larissa K Samuelson and Bob McMurray
Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Cognitive science, Vol.8(1-2), pp.e1421-n/a
01/2017
DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1421
PMCID: PMC5182137
PMID: 27911490
url
https://doi.org/10.1002/wcs.1421View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Vocabulary learning is deceptively hard, but toddlers often make it look easy. Prior theories proposed that children's rapid acquisition of words is based on language-specific knowledge and constraints. In contrast, more recent work converges on the view that word learning proceeds via domain-general processes that are tuned to richly structured-not impoverished-input. We argue that new theoretical insights, coupled with methodological tools, have pushed the field toward an appreciation of simple, content-free processes working together as a system to support the acquisition of words. We illustrate this by considering three central phenomena of early language development: referential ambiguity, fast-mapping, and the vocabulary spurt. WIREs Cogn Sci 2017, 8:e1421. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1421 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Learning Vocabulary Child Language Humans Language Development Child, Preschool Infant Child

Details

Logo image