The Language Myth

Why Language Is Not an Instinct

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Pub Date Sep 22 2014 | Archive Date Oct 01 2014

Description

Is language an instinct—something we are born with, a skill programmed into the human genome? For nearly fifty years, scientists thought the answer was yes. This book reveals why they were wrong.

Language is central to our lives, the cultural tool that arguably sets us apart from other species. The Language Myth argues against the dominant linguistic notion of language as an “instinct” too complex to be learned from experience.

Drawing on cutting-edge research in brain and behavioral sciences, including linguistics, philosophy of mind, psychology, and cognitive neuroscience, Vyvyan Evans presents a more realistic explanation for the origin of language that aligns with the facts we have today. This provocative book 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 passionately argued, this book debunks the ‘language myth’ and uncovers the true origins of language, the nature of mind, and what it means to be human.

Is language an instinct—something we are born with, a skill programmed into the human genome? For nearly fifty years, scientists thought the answer was yes. This book reveals why they were wrong.

...


Advance Praise

"A much-needed, comprehensive critique of universal grammar. Vyvyan Evans builds a compelling case that will be difficult to refute."
David Crystal, author of The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Language, 3rd edition

"Evans’ rebuttal of Chomsky’s universal grammar from the perspective of cognitive linguistics provides an excellent antidote to popular textbooks where it is assumed that the Chomskyan approach to linguistic theory (in one avatar or another) has somehow been vindicated once and for all."
Michael Fortescue, Professor Emeritus, University of Copenhagen

"The Language Myth builds a compelling case that there is no innate universal grammar. Evans's work is a welcome contribution to our understanding of the origin, nature, and use of human language."
Daniel L. Everett, Dean of Arts and Sciences, Bentley University

"A much-needed, comprehensive critique of universal grammar. Vyvyan Evans builds a compelling case that will be difficult to refute."
David Crystal, author of The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of...


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Advance reading copies available
National print, broadcast, digital media campaign
Social media promotion on Facebook and Twitter


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781107619753
PRICE $27.99 (USD)

Average rating from 3 members


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