Constructing A Language: A Usage-based Theory O... Instant

In his influential book, , Michael Tomasello presents a revolutionary alternative to the "language instinct" theories popularized by Noam Chomsky. Rather than relying on an innate Universal Grammar , Tomasello argues that children build their linguistic competence from the ground up through social interaction and general cognitive processes . Core Pillars of the Theory

Tomasello posits that language acquisition is driven by two fundamental, domain-general cognitive skills that emerge in human development around the age of one: