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The Language Learning Brain as a Complex Dynamic System #1261

Since the publishing of Larsen-Freeman’s seminal 1997 paper on language as a complex dynamic system, Complex Dynamic Systems Theory has gained significant traction as one of the possible grand meta-theories that may be able to explain what how language is created. It also holds great promise in helping us to understand how learners develop their LX competence. However, CDST-based explanations of LX development typically fail to take account of the human brain and its possibilities and limitations. According to the evolutionary biologist P.T. Schoenemann (1999), models must be able to draw a direct connection between language and the biology of the brain. This position paper seeks to further our understanding of LX development by applying CDST to what we already know about the brain, and in so doing highlight potential areas for future research.