What allows children to acquire language so effortlessly, with such speed, and with such amazing accuracy? Capitalizing on the most recent developments in linguistics and cognitive psychology, this volume sheds new light on the what, why, and how of the child's ability to acquire one or more languages.
The Handbook is one of a kind in a number of respects. It includes state-of-the-art treatments of acquisition from a variety of theoretical viewpoints ranging from functionalist approaches and the implications of the creolization of languages for the study of acquisition to the relevance of Chomsky's Minimalist Program. It contains overviews of the acquisition of all components of linguistic structure, treats the acquisition of the sign languages of the deaf, and discusses the specific problems of bilingual acquisition.
Key Features
*Addresses the following questions:
* Is the capacity for language acquisition constant throughout the career of the language learner (that is, is it "continuous") or does that capacity change in significant ways as the learner matures?
* Is the language capacity a separate module of the mind or does it follow from general, "all-purpose" cognitive capacities?
* What is innate in language acquisition and what is acquired on the basis of experience?
* What research/methodological issues arise in the study of child language acquisition?
* How might input from the language (or languages) of the environment, including visual/gestural input in the case of the sign languages of the deaf, affect the process and result of acquisition?
* How are the facts of non-normal acquisition to be explained?

Colloquial Urdu provides a step-by-step course in Urdu as it is written and spoken today. Combining a user-friendly approach with a thorough treatment of the language, it equips learners with the essential skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in Urdu in a broad range of situations. No prior knowledge of the language is required. Key features include: progressive coverage of speaking, listening, reading and writing skills structured, jargon-free explanations of grammar an extensive range of focused and stimulating exercises realistic and entertaining dialogues covering a broad variety of scenarios useful vocabulary lists throughout the text additional resources available at the back of the book, including a full answer key, a grammar summary, bilingual glossaries and English translations of dialogues. This second edition has been extensively updated and revised throughout, with particular attention to the Urdu script - coverage is now integrated throughout the book and the script font has been enlarged and improved. Balanced, comprehensive and rewarding, Colloquial Urdu will be an indispensable resource both for independent learners and for students taking courses in Urdu. By the end of this course, you will be at Level B2 of the Common European Framework for Languages and at the Intermediate-High on the ACTFL proficiency scales. Audio material to accompany the course is available to download free in MP3 format from www.routledge.com/cw/colloquials. Recorded by native speakers, the audio material features the dialogues and texts from the book and will help develop your listening and pronunciation skills.

Punjabi is the language of the Punjab - the land of five rivers - of northern India and Pakistan. Primarily written in three distinct scripts, a unique feature of the language is that, along with Lahanda and the Western Pahari dialects, it is the only modern Indo-European language spoken in South-East Asia which is tonal in nature. It is recognised as one of the several national languages of India and Pakistan, and approximately forty-five million people speak Punjabi as either a first or second language.This Descriptive Grammar accounts for the linguistic and sociolinguistic properties of Punjabi and Lahanda/Multani. It explores the standard language, giving a comprehensive account of syntax, morphology and phonology. With a descriptive, typological and cognitive examination of the language, this is a comprehensive and authoritative description of modern Punjabi . This volume will be invaluable to students and researchers of linguistic theory and practice.

Punjabi is a modern Indo-Aryan language spoken primarily in South Asian countries--India and Pakistan--but also in countries within the United Kingdom and Canada. Recognized as one of the fifteen official languages of India, Punjabi is spoken--as either first or second language--by approximately forty-five million people.
Primarily written in three distinct scripts (Gurumukhi, Perso-Arabic, and Devanagari), a unique feature of the language is that it is tonal in nature. Along with Lahanda and the Western Pahari (Himalayan) dialects, Punjabi is the only modern Indo-Aryan language which has developed tonal contrast.
Along with a discussion of Indian and Pakistani varieties of Punjabi, Tej Bhatia also accounts for the linguistic and sociolinguistic properties of British and Canadian varieties. The book will invaluable to linguists working in the area of South Asian Linguistics, language universals, language typology, comparative syntax, morphology or phonology, and linguistic variation.