reporters and early syntax

[Brian MacWhinney]

Gary,

  Well, I pretty much figured that you didn't really say that your studies
show that the 7-month-old has syntax.  In fact, I can imagine seeing you
trying to explain to the reporter that these were studies of domain-general
devices.  I can see the reporter nodding his or her head and then walking
off with a hand-held taperecorder mumbling phrases about "syntax at 7
months", "language in the crib" and the rest.

  My guess is that there is a set of universal prototypes for stories that
are probably "innate" in every reporter.  Here is a sample set:
1.  Man bites dog.
2.  80-year-old climbs Mt. McKinley.
3.  Little bitty baby does something we only thought older kids could do.
Or maybe a cat or a chinchilla does it.
4.  Something important and commonplace turns out to be located at point X
in the brain, the genome, or even in the soil.
5.  Reports of apparitions, alien sightings, Lock Nessie, etc.
I think you can fill out the rest of the list.

  The problem for child language people has to be figuring how to convince
reporters that what we do is interesting in its own right without being
seen as always and only a case of type #3 or type #4.

--Brian MacWhinney