The present book contains selected contributions from the international conference "Basic Mechanisms of Language and Language Disorders". This conference was held in Leipzig in September 1999, and was organized by the Department of Psychology at the University of Leipzig in collaboration with the Max-Planck­ Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, and the Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. It was held to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the foundation of the world's first institute of experimental psychology by Wilhelm Wundt in Leipzig. This edition examines new results from different fields of psychology and neuro­ psychology of language, reading, and reading disability. The presented book focuses on the following main topics: • BASIC FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION • BASIC FUNCTIONS OF READING • BASIC FUNCTIONS OF READING DISABILITY The title "Basic Functions of Language, Reading and Reading disability" expresses the interdisciplinary character of the book. It aims not only at bringing together different theoretical approaches, but also at connecting these approaches with applied work. Since it is necessary to understand basic functions of language and reading in order to understand reading disability, the present book strives to foster a scientific exchange, and to promote the emergence of synergy effects between the different fields.