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ERIC Number: EJ948659
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Dec
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1949-3533
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Language Development Hinges on Communication: An Emergentist Perspective
Abrar-Ul-Hassan, Shahid
TESOL Journal, v2 n4 p510-520 Dec 2011
Studies on the human language system have brought to the fore two key aspects. First, the prime function of language is communication. Second, language exists in the social world. The language learning process takes place within the sociocultural context and the relevant macrostructures that influence language use and development. According to the emergentist perspective, during the language learning process communication plays the central role in the emergence of a language system in a learner. Thus, the grammatical structures emerge through discourse as a result of the interaction between the learner and the environment. This article explicates, from the emergentist perspective, the vital role of communication, particularly authentic communication, in the emergence of linguistic structures. It also sums up the pedagogical implications of this understanding.
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. 1925 Ballenger Avenue Suite 550, Alexandria, VA 22314. Tel: 888-547-3369; Tel: 703-836-0774; Fax: 703-836-7864; Fax: 703-836-6447; e-mail: info@tesol.org; Web site: http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/seccss.asp?CID=1997&DID=12258
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A