[Corpora-List] FW: Gender differences in language

[Michael Maxwell]

> In The Language Instruct, Stephen Pinker notes how children
> impose a grammar that was originally lacking in pidgins in
> order to turn them into creoles. This is not something that
> the children get from "socialization"; this is an
> operation, or perhaps a whole series of operations, that
> their minds provide them with the capacity to do.

This may be referring to the case of Nicaraguan Sign Language, which
within a matter of a few years is said to have gone from a pidgin to a
full language (if not a creole in the usual sense--there was no lexifier
language).  There is an article about it in Wikipedia (where else!) that
summarizes some of the issues, together with links and citations:
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaraguan_Sign_Language
It reminds me of a quote which I think comes from Morris Halle, who was
asked if he had another lifetime what he would do.  His reply was, learn a
sign language.  (Maybe someone has a full quote.  I don't want to make two
mistakes in one day :-).)

   Mike Maxwell
   CASL/ U MD


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