Recent research suggests that our ability to learn language is innate, but not necessarily domain-specific. That is, language development appears to be based on a relatively plastic mix of neural systems that also serve other cognitive and perceptual functions. Evidence in support of this conclusion includes neural network simulations of language learning, event-related brain potential studies of normal language development, and studies of language development in several clinical populations of subjects suffering focal brain injury, specific language impairment, and contrasting forms of mental retardation.