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Patterns in the Mind: Language and Human Nature by Ray Jackendoff
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Patterns in the Mind: Language and Human Nature

by Ray Jackendoff

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Good introduction to the universal grammar theory. I do need to go back to Chomsky some time. And very convincing. I was especially surprised by how easy it apparently is to construct a new language, they seem to evolve readily within a generation.Set me wondering about the difference between innate and 'prescribed' grammar... the stuff they teach in school. Can grammar be taught, or does it need to be internalized?The last chapter where he tried to extrapolate the universal grammar to other things didn't quite work A grammar of constructed seeing I bought because of my other reading in the area, but his extrapolations into moral and political systems were shaky. He didn't have enough space to develop the ideas to the point where they made sense, and I thought that they weakened the book, even if I do agree with his thoughts on libertarianism. ( )
  krisiti | Jul 1, 2009 |
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Ray Jackendoff

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Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0465054617, Hardcover)

What is it about the human mind that accounts for the fact that we can speak and understand a language? Why can’t other creatures do the same? And what does this tell us about the rest of human abilities? Recent dramatic discoveries in linguistics and psychology provide intriguing answers to these age-old mysteries. In this fascinating book, Ray Jackendoff emphasizes the grammatical commonalities across languages, both spoken and signed, and discusses the implications for our understanding of language acquisition and loss.

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:57:57 -0400)

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