14.2926, Qs: Genetic Lang Skills

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LINGUIST List:  Vol-14-2926. Sun Oct 26 2003. ISSN: 1068-4875.

Subject: 14.2926, Qs: Genetic Lang Skills

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1)
Date:  Fri, 24 Oct 2003 11:19:33 +0100
From:  Dick Hudson <dick at linguistics.ucl.ac.uk>
Subject:  A "gene" for hyper-polyglottism??

-------------------------------- Message 1 -------------------------------

Date:  Fri, 24 Oct 2003 11:19:33 +0100
From:  Dick Hudson <dick at linguistics.ucl.ac.uk>
Subject:  A "gene" for hyper-polyglottism??

Dear Linguist-List,

Some time ago I broadcast a query about the 'world record' for
learning foreign languages (Linguist 7.861.2), and in my summary
(Linguist 7.881) I identified an Italian cardinal called Mezzofante as
the probable record-holder. I've just had a message from another
Mezzofante and wondered whether anyone knows of research supporting
the idea of a genetic basis for skill in learning lots of languages -
the reverse of Selective Language Impairment, I suppose?  If there's
no such research, maybe there should be?


Best wishes,  Dick Hudson

Richard (= Dick) Hudson

Phonetics and Linguistics, University College London,
http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/dick/home.htm

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