Review of Pinker’s The Language Instinct

The Analysis of Verbal Behavior -     

The Role of L1 in Second Language Acquisition

The influence of the first language on the second language acquisition has been a hot issue since the 1940s. And language transfer is employed to refer to the role of L1 in SLA. The author reviews the linguists' different opinions about language transfer and puts forward the idea that in SLA, the similar can be transferred and the subtle difference can't be learned easily. Therefore, teachers' instruction plays a role in students' second language acquisition.     

The treatment of Jenni L.: A case of Anorexia Nervosa

The symptom of Anorexia Nervosa is a dramatic statement of the adolescent's need for an internal structure to regulate her sense of self. She was unable to develop this structure during infancy due to the need for the infant to meet her mother's narcissistic needs. Therefore, the infant was not able to internalize the mirroring function (of the mother) which would have allowed her to acquire her own empathetic structure to regulate her self worth. Consequently, empathy must be utilized in the treatment relationship to facilitate the formation of a compensatory structure of the self which will, in turn, promote recovery from Anorexia.Ms Reilly graduated in 1986 from Boston College, Graduate School, Social Work.