Human language has long provided a crucible for new theories and methods in nearly all areas of cognitive

science. Fiery debates have arisen, and critical advances have been made through investigations into how best

to characterize relationships between form and function, the extent and implications of variation across

languages, and the cognitive and social prerequisites for language. New methodological advances continue to

inspire debates about how natural language is learned, produced, and understood and how these skills relate to

what it means to be human.