APPLYING THE TWIN METHOD TO LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

在这项研究中，我们建议应用孪生方法，一种行为 遗传学技术，解决语言习得中的问题。特别是， 我们将研究三个正常语法学习延迟的案例 儿童：被动动词、代词共指和动词词形变化。 这种构式学习时间长的原因是 大量辩论的来源，冲突的中心是 投入的作用。双胞胎方法，通过划分个体 相对遗传和环境贡献的差异，可能 阐明这场辩论。总的来说，一个很大的基因贡献， 或遗传性，将意味着在建筑中扮演成熟的角色， 而较低的贡献率则表明投入和 中级水平表明解释不一。 这种方法也有可能丰富语言的研究 三个方面的发展。(1)提供了一种新颖的分组方式 通过提供相对遗传力估计的语言过程， 从而为一些人提供了共同的来源，而不是其他人。(2)它 提供了遗传率的绝对估计，这可以告诉我们 正常儿童的程度延迟是可以从延迟中预测的 他们家里的其他孩子也表现出了这一点。此外，它还可能 告诉我们干预能在多大程度上有效地加速 从小就有S的语言发展。(3)寻找语言的遗传性 发展将证实语言具有某种先天基础的说法 并支持语言是由自然选择进化的理论。

In this research, we propose to apply the twin method, a behavioral genetics technique, to problems in language acquisition. In particular, we will study three cases of delayed grammar learning in normal children: passive verbs, pronoun co-reference, and verbal inflection. The reason for the protracted learning of such constructions has been the source of a great deal of debate, with the conflict centered around the role of input. The twin method, by partitioning individual differences into relative genetic and environmental contributions, could shed light on this debate. In general, a large genetic contribution, or heritability, would implicate a maturational role in a construction, while a low contribution indicates greater importance of input and an intermediate level indicates a mixed explanation. This method also has the potential to enrich the study of language development in three ways. (1) It provides a novel way to group linguistic processes by providing relative heritability estimates, thereby suggesting common sources for some and not others. (2) It provides absolute estimates of heritability, which could tell us to what extent delays in normal children are predictable from the delays demonstrated by other children in their family. In addition, it may tell us to what extent intervention could be effective in speeding up a child s language development. (3) finding heritability in language development would corroborate claims that language has some innate basis and support theories that language evolved by natural selection.