Preface Author's preface SECTION 1 Survey 1 Introduction 2 Acquisition: when I was a child, I spoke as a child '... no language but a cry' First words The birth of grammar Evidence for innateness Childish creativity Stages of linguistic development 3 Production: putting words in one's mouth Conceptualization Formulation Articulation Self-monitoring 4 Comprehension: understanding what we hear and read The comprehension of sounds The comprehension of words The comprehension of sentences The comprehension of texts Comprehension concluded 5 Dissolution: language loss Neurolinguistics and language loss Speech and language disorders Concluding summary SECTION 2 Readings SECTION 3 References SECTION 4 Glossary