Re: How does a baby learn language, when learning requires concentration

[Ruud Harmsen <realemailonsite@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Sat, 9 Dec 2006 14:54:14 -0500: penguinsare@xxxxxxxxx (Penguins Are):
in sci.lang:

>Concentration is required to memorize-focus.  

It's not. It's not needed to memorize. I don't know what you mean by
memorize-focus. Doesn't focus mean the same as concentrate here?
.  
>Then how does the baby
>learn words and basic grammer by age three when they are too young to
>focus narrowly?  

It uses the best method, which is using the language (passively, then
increasingly actively) without conciously concentrating. That works
better for adults too. Memorize-focus isn't an effectively method to
learn things, including language. Repetition and connection with other
intellectual tasks is better. Hence my
http://rudhar.com/etymolog/rentesen.htm .

>How do they get all the words when adults studying  a foreign language
>must go over and over vocabulary lists to remember anything?  

Babies do it right, adults doing it that wat do it wrong.

>This seems to me a reasonable question.  

It's the wrong question, because it departs from an incorrect
assumption.

-- 
Ruud Harmsen - http://rudhar.com