APPLYING THE TWIN METHOD TO LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

在这项研究中，我们建议采用双胞胎方法，一种行为 遗传学技术，语言习得的问题。 特别是， 我们将研究三个正常人语法学习延迟的案例， 儿童：被动动词、代词共指和动词变形。 学习这种结构要花很长时间的原因是 引发了大量的争论，冲突集中在 输入的作用。 双生子方法，通过划分个体 相对遗传和环境贡献的差异， 为这场辩论提供了线索 一般来说，一个大的遗传贡献， 或遗传性，会暗示一个结构中的成熟角色， 贡献低表明投入的重要性更大， 中等水平表示混合解释。 这种方法也有可能丰富语言的研究 发展三个方面。(1)它提供了一种新颖的方式来分组 通过提供相对遗传力估计， 从而为一些而不是其他人提出了共同的来源。 (2)它 提供了遗传力的绝对估计，这可以告诉我们 正常儿童的延迟程度可以从延迟预测 被家里的其他孩子所证明。 而且可大大 告诉我们在何种程度上干预可以有效地加快 孩子的语言发展。 (3)发现语言的遗传性 发展将证实语言有某种先天基础的说法 支持语言是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.