Abstract：Generic language expresses generalizable qualities about abstract kinds rather than information about specific individuals or plural sets of individuals, which provides an important means for preserving and transmitting human knowledge. It is widely used in languages across the globe and acquired quite early in children’s development. This paper reviews advances in the research of generic language over the past decades, focusing particularly on its features, its acquisition, and its influence on children’s concept formation and development. Generics research provides an important window onto child development, a useful perspective to understanding the relation between language and cognition and behaviours, and valuable implications for early childhood education.
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