Early Development of Speech and Language: Cognitive, Behavioral, and Neural Systems

Despite the complexity of human language, all typically developing children learn language easily and without explicit instruction. Within three years, children learn the rules governing the phonological, lexical, and syntactic systems of their language in addition to mastering the pragmatic rules governing how language is used communicatively. Here, we review the behavioral, cognitive, and neural systems involved in each of these aspects of language acquisition, beginning prenatally and continuing throughout childhood. Furthermore, we discuss cases where the process of language acquisition is disrupted.

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