The present-day approach to the study of language from a cognitive perspective is a relatively recent one, influenced by developments in other areas of cognitive science and neuroscience. In the first half of the 20th century, the field of linguistics was a subfield of anthropology, and linguists were largely concerned with grammatical descriptions of the world’s languages. The field of psychology during this time was dominated by behaviorism, leading psychologists like Skinner to propose that language was learned through imitation and reward, with no reference to mental representations of structure or meaning.
In this article by Lenneberg, he outlines an approach to language that is shared, at least in part, by many language scientists today. He emphasizes that language is a uniquely human ability, based in our neural architecture, and shared by all neurologically intact members of our species.. He describes data on language development and neural correlates of language abilities, which support the modern-day interest in the study of language as a window onto human cognitive abilities.
Reading Questions:
1) What conclusions can be drawn from the data on cooing and fussing behavior in hearing and deaf infants?
2) How do identical and fraternal twins compare in terms of the onset of speech and milestones of linguistic development? Why are these data important?
3) What are some of the components of the biological approach to language that Lenneberg describes?
4) What is Lenneberg’s view on human language and other animal communication systems?