This is the first comprehensive account of prolonged hearing loss and its impact on a language that was once spoken fluently. Although it is currently assumed that hearing loss results in speech deterioration, it is shown that language loss occurs when speakers remain deaf for a long time. The reader is introduced to a significant deaf population — postlingually deafened Yoruba speakers who have been deaf for more than twenty years and who have no access to hearing aids or speech therapy. After becoming deaf, they continue to speak Yoruba from memory and “hear” visually through lip reading. These speakers exhibit phonological, lexical and syntactic losses which mirror acquisition patterns attested in the speech of Yoruba children. Based on these similarities, it is argued that a direct link exists between language loss and first language acquisition. It is further argued that prolonged deafness results in language reversal. Finally, the book presents the first description of the sign language and gestures used by deafened speakers to augment their spoken language. These findings will be of value to linguists, speech, language and hearing therapists, anthropologists, Africanists, deaf studies researchers, and non-specialists who are interested in hearing health and wellness.

Without words, children can't talk about people, places, things, actions, relations, or states, and they have no grammatical rules. Without words, there would be no sound structure, no word structure, and no syntax. The lexicon is central in language, and in language acquisition. Eve Clark argues for this centrality and for the general principles of conventionality and contrast at the core of language acquisition. She looks at the hypotheses children draw on about possible word meanings, and how they map their meanings on to forms. The book is unusual in dealing with data from a wide variety of languages, in its emphasis on the general principles children rely on as they analyse complex word forms, and in the broad perspective it takes on lexical acquisition.

How do young children learn language? When does this process start? What does language acquisition involve? Children are exposed to language from birth, surrounded by knowledgeable speakers who offer feedback and provide extensive practice every day. Through conversation and joint activities, children master the language being used around them. This fully revised third edition of Eve V. Clark's bestselling textbook offers comprehensive coverage of language acquisition, from a baby's first sounds to a child's increasing skill in negotiating, explaining and entertaining with language. This book, drawing together the most recent findings in the field, and illustrated with examples from a wide range of experimental and observational studies, including the author's own diary observations, presents an essential and comprehensive guide to first language acquisition. It will be fascinating reading for students of linguistics, developmental psychology and cognitive science.

Age Effects in the Acquisition of English Onset Clusters by Turkish Learners: An Optimality-Theoretic Approach offers a state-of-the-art examination of the acquisition of English onset clusters by Turkish learners, and considers the age effects in second language (L2) phonology. Unlike previous research trends, this research examines the developmental paths of L2 phonology, rather than the ‘end-state’ of acquisition. This in return will yield insightful data which appeals to both L2 theory and phonological theory. The L2 data presented here will be accounted for within a constraint-based framework known as Optimality Theory (OT). The first two chapters provide an overview of first and second language phonology, and are also discussed under OT framework in chapter 3. Chapter 4 serves to highlight the syllable structure of Turkish and English and addresses a number of partially overlapping themes: synchronic and diachronic analysis of English and Turkish consonant inventory, loan phonology, and prosodic development. The remaining chapters provide a detailed presentation of the novel empirical results, along with a discussion of its wider implications in phonological theory and phonological acquisition. Indispensable for students and researchers working in the areas of phonological theory and phonological acquisition, this volume will also appeal to applied linguists and speech language pathologists.

In good markets or bad, reverse mergers play a key role for companies that want to avoid the IPO route for going public. Since the successful first edition of Reverse Mergers was published in 2006, the economic and regulatory landscape has changed. Executives, owners, lawyers, accountants, professional investors, regulators, and others need to know what those changes mean for reverse mergers. Reverse-merger expert David Feldman gives an overview of the most important changes since the previous edition was published: new SEC regulations, the changing nature of SPACs (Special-Purpose Acquisition Company), and the emergence of new instruments called WRASPs (WestPark Alternative Senior Exchange Process). The book includes a new chapter on China, and the “Experts Speak” chapter features all new interviewees. David Feldman is one of the country’s leading experts on reverse mergers, self-filings, and other alternatives to IPOs. His firm has guided hundreds of companies on going public, advising them on structure and mechanics, financing, due diligence, regulatory issues, and more.

Corporate restructuring (acquisitions, alliances and divestment) is a visible form of corporate strategy. For example, firm investments in buying and selling assets exceed the gross domestic product of the majority of nations. Most research in this area examines acquisitions, but informing practice is limited by examining acquisitions in isolation or using a narrow focus. For example, a lingering problem is that average acquisition performance is consistently around zero, suggesting a need to identify practically relevant relationships. In addressing this need, research on three fundamental questions is covered: 1) How do acquisitions relate to other corporate strategy options?; 2) What helps to predict acquisition performance?; and 3) What are persistent acquisition research issues? The first question is intended to overcome a research limitation that acquisitions are often examined independent of other corporate strategies, including internal development, alliances, and divestment. The second question addresses novel relationships associated with the primary focus of acquisition research in examining what drives acquisition performance. The third question reflects on the underlying complexity of the phenomenon that makes it a challenge to identify what drives acquisition performance. Overall, the intent of presenting ideas on these fundamental questions is to illustrate promising areas for future research. This book presents the latest state of knowledge on the topic and will be of interest to researchers, academics, and advanced students in the fields of strategic management, international business, and organizational studies.