This book offers a systematic linguistic critique of language development studies since the 1960s. It uses systemic theory to explain and interpret the development of child language, with discussions and illustrative texts to explicate the analysis. Painter provides a rich source of data for child language researchers in all fields, and aims to make a systematic theory more accessible to those interested in the ideas put forward by M.A.K. Halliday in his writings on language development.

Clare Painter is an Honorary Associate in Linguistics at the University of Sydney, Australia.