That IS interesting Zed. And if I think about it, I have seen every mom do just this and when I am around kids I do the same too. It probably is the strong sense of mentor that we get around kids that makes us constantly challenge them.

I however don't understand, how any of this suggests that language is innate? If anything, this should favour strongly, acquired learning, since, it is clearly the mother who is making the child *associate the two words. And so, the child who started with, 'mine', is challenged to make the connection with two new words - baby's ball. The mother is *teaching the child - acquired learning.