Editorial Reviews
Review

“This open-minded, comprehensive overview of the intersectingcomponents of phonological development is a masterpiece that shouldshape new directions of research for many years to come. Vihmanelucidates the many underlying assumptions, some in conflict withone another, that have guided research on phonological development,and lays out clearly the relevance of individual variability invery young children. Vihman’s work will cause researchers inthe disparate areas of perception, production, word learning,variation, and phonological universals to be informed by eachother’s results, potentially revolutionizing ourunderstanding of phonological development.”
–Sharon Inkelas, University of California, Berkeley

"Phonological Development: The First Two Years (Second Edition)is essential reading and a primary text for all specialists andstudents in language development as well as those interested inphonological development in particular. It provides in-depth andup-to-date coverage of all areas of research relevant tounderstanding phonological development, with comprehensive reviewsof both empirical findings and theoretical frameworks. An emphasisis made on the need to relate the development of perception andproduction, and the study of phonological development to broaderareas of language acquisition. Besides eleven chapters, it alsocontains valuable appendices on protowords and template analyses.To my knowledge it is the most thorough and important book on thistopic to date."
–David Ingram, Arizona State University

“Marilyn Vihman’s work unfolds on the center court ofchild phonology research. This book gives a broad and insightfulaccount of this complex topic—a treatment that is likely toserve, for a long time, as an indispensable reference on the earlystages of learning to speak.” –Björn Lindblom,Stockholm University

“This eagerly awaited second edition masterfully updatesVihman's review of research on earlier themes as well as on severalnew themes, much of which attests to the profound inspiration ofthe seminal first edition.” –Mary Beckman, OhioState University
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From the Back Cover

The field of child phonology has seen major developments inresearch, with the emergence of exciting new methods in the 18years since the publication of Vihman’s classic firstedition. Drawing on this progress, Vihman has updated andcompletely revised her successful text to focus on the very latestresearch in phonological development in the first two years of life– the period of the most rapid learning and the most dramaticdevelopmental advances.

Retaining its unique approach and coverage, the new editionexpands the chapters on perception, vocal production and thetransition into language use, including sections on the perceptionand production of native-language speech rhythms. A new chapterprovides an overview of communicative and attentional as well asperceptual and vocal development in the first 18 months, with anadditional focus on both implicit and explicit learning mechanisms.There are also entirely new chapters on segmentation anddistributional learning, experiments in word learning, andbilingual phonological development. In addition, PhonologicalDevelopment reviews theoretical models of perception as well asformalist and functionalist theoretical approaches to phonologicaldevelopment and concludes by considering the link betweenperception and production and the role of lexical knowledge and usein further learning. Vihman’s much needed and timely updatewill provide an invaluable source book for students and researchersalike.

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