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Elissa L. Newport
Professor
Arts, Sciences, and Engineering
Department of Brain And Cognitive Sciences
Areas of expertise: Acquisition of language
Press contact:
Susan Hagen
susan.hagen@rochester.edu
585.276.4061
Related Links:
Elissa Newport Homepage
In the News
ScienceDaily
Sign Language Study Shows Multiple Brain Regions Wired for Language
April 30, 2010
ABC News
Why Do We Lose Learning Ability?
March 22, 2010
Los Angeles Daily News
After spacewalk, scientists imagine more
July 18, 2009
Science Daily
On The 40th Anniversary Of The First Manned Moon Landing Today's Scientists Point To New Frontiers
July 15, 2009
News Releases
'Perfect Pitch' in Humans Far More Prevalent than Expected
August 25, 2008
Investiture Ceremony Celebrates New Dean of the College Faculty
October 23, 2006
Scientists Find Ability for Grammar Hardwired into Humans
February 03, 2006
Dean of Faculty Search Committee Appointed; Newport Named Chair
May 26, 2005
Biography
Elissa Newport’s primary research interest is in the acquisition of language, and in the relationship between language acquisition and language structure. She focuses on the language acquisition process, investigating how learners go from linguistic input to knowledge of the grammar of a language. Newport looks at the maturational effects on language learning, comparing children to adults as first and second language learners, and asking why children, who are more limited in most cognitive domains, perform better than adults in language acquisition. These studies involve the acquisition of signed and spoken languages at varying ages.