We need a comparative approach to language acquisition: A commentary on Kidd and Garcia (2022)

The study by Kidd and Garcia is long overdue. Their analyses of published research on language acquisition highlight the lack of typological diversity in studies of how children acquire their native tongue. We concur with their conclusion that more research on understudied languages is urgently needed. However, we argue that what the field needs is not just wider cross-linguistic coverage but a systematic comparative approach to language acquisition - one in which investigations of well-studied languages still has much to contribute.