The unbearable brightness of language learning | University of Birmingham

Inaugural lectures are a landmark in academic life, held on the appointment of new professorships. Professor Petar Milin talks about his research understanding the crucial role of learning in human language.
Setting aside the classic debate of nature versus nurture, the emergence of language hinges on its actual usage and learning. Consider how a child navigates language usage: from discriminating relevant sounds and controlling the vocal tract for effective listening and speaking, to mastering eye movements for fluent reading, and developing fine muscle coordination for writing. Each aspect of language usage is underpinned by prior learning. The sheer effort involved in this process becomes starkly evident in adults acquiring a second language, where it feels like re-learning listening, speaking, reading, and writing anew.
Recent years have witnessed significant progress in the research of adult language learning, owing to a fruitful merger between usage-based linguistics and the psychology of learning.
This lecture will take a retrospective look at several case studies, highlighting pivotal advancements. It will tackle the question of what new-era language science should be, both fundamentally, for deepening our knowledge and understanding of language, and practically, for optimising language learning to better our daily lives.
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