... 'sensorimotor' cognitive development, as described by Piaget (1983) is not necessarily a precursor to the development of language, but a co-occurrence. This proposal is supported by considering the underlying neurological subsystems that are common to both sensori-motor and language functions. Finally a Piagetian influence is discovered with the involvement of cognitive processes in the mapping of innate predispostions to the input of the child's native tongue (Karmiloff-Smith, 1992; Mandler, 1993). In this context language can be considered to be that faculty that permits communication by voice in a distinctively human manner using structured syntactic arrangements of grammar (Delbridge & Bernard, 1995). This unique human talent has attracted widespread interest, resulting in a comprehensive debate regarding the acquisition and origins of language (Piatelli-Palmarini, 1980; Rieber & Voyat, 1983). The two opposing sides have debated whether language acquisition is a domain-general process or a domain-specific process (Karmiloff-Smith, 1992). Leading the domain specific camp ...

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