Books by Neil (University College London) Smith

Noam Chomsky continues to be a hugely influential figure in linguistics, psychology, philosophy and politics. This revised and updated account of his thought explores his remarkable contribution to modern intellectual life and presents an accessible account of how he has revolutionised our view of language, the mind and human nature.

Every once in a while nature gives us insight into the human condition by providing us with a unique case whose special properties illuminate the species as a whole. Christopher is such an example. Despite disabilities which mean that everyday tasks are burdensome chores, Christopher is a linguistic wonder who can read, write, speak, understand and translate more than twenty languages. On some tests he shows a severely low IQ, hinting at ineducability, yet his English language ability indicates an IQ in excess of 120 (a level more than sufficient to enter university). Christopher is a savant, someone with an island of startling talent in a sea of inability. This book documents his learning of British Sign Language, casting light on the modularity of cognition, the modality neutrality of the language faculty, the structure of memory, the grammar of signed language and the nature of the human mind.

Children often mispronounce words when learning their first language. Is it because they cannot perceive the differences that adults make or is it because they can't produce the sounds involved? Neither hypothesis is sufficient on its own to explain the facts. On the basis of detailed analyses of his son's and grandson's development, Neil Smith explains the everyday miracle of one aspect of first-language acquisition. Mispronunciations are now attributed to performance rather than to competence, and he argues at length that children's productions are not mentally represented. The study also highlights the constructs of current linguistic theory, arguing for distinctive features and the notion 'onset' and against some of the claims of Optimality Theory and Usage-based accounts. Smith provides an important and engaging update to his previous work, The Acquisition of Phonology, building on ideas previously developed and drawing new conclusions with the aid of fresh data.

Language, Bananas, and Bonobos presents a series of engaging reflections on concerns such as our knowledge and use of language, political correctness, and the linguistic abilities of chimpanzees. In doing so, this volume provides new insights into linguistics that are of universal interest.

With topics ranging from language death to sign language, Language, Frogs and Savants offers a glimpse into the fascinating world of linguistics. * Written by one of the most senior figures in linguistics. * Features fascinating topics ranging from language death to sign language.

This is an introductory overview of modern theoretical linguistics which aims to be both accessible and humorous without sacrificing either scholarship or insight. The author emphasizes the necessity of appealing to linguistic theory for an understanding of the phenomena of language.

In this original, detailed and wide--ranging study, Neil Smith and Ianthi--Maria Tsimpli not only provide insight into the mind of one unique individual, but simultaneously cast light on the nature of language and thought in general.