The acquisition of Native American languages is an area of study in which there is still much
work to be done, and this is especially true of Inuit languages. That alone makes Shanley
Allen's Aspects of argument structure acquisition in Inuktitut a welcome
addition to the list of publications on first language learning. The book is not, however, strictly
intended for those who study Native American language acquisition. The extensive background
information provided, both theoretical and methodological, makes Allen's work accessible
to linguists with various interests. Furthermore, although her analysis is based largely on
principles and parameters theory, she deliberately makes her research amenable to a variety of
theoretical frameworks.