Aspects of Language Acquisition and Use From Age 2 to Age 20

General cognitive processes may underlie development of such diverse skills as producing well-structured sentences, forming basic concepts, conversing, understanding metaphor, and using language flexibly to describe and order events. Three aspects of the child's language development are central in accounting for both normal and deviant courses of acquisition: (1) how the young child uses some (but not most) language exchanges with others to construct sophisticated sentences—a theory of “cognitive comparisons” is offered; (2) relationships between early language strengths and the levels of language skills after age 4 years; and (3) the possibility that some children may be better able to master language in a mode other than speech.