A Linguistic Analysis of Developmental Changes in Children's Speech Revisions
Dowell, Bonita Lynne
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/72383
Description
Title
A Linguistic Analysis of Developmental Changes in Children's Speech Revisions
Author(s)
Dowell, Bonita Lynne
Issue Date
1992
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Rowan, L.E.
Department of Study
Speech and Hearing Science
Discipline
Speech and Hearing Science
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Speech Communication
Health Sciences, Speech Pathology
Psychology, Developmental
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine and describe the emergence and development of the specific types of conversational repair strategies used by normally developing children. Previous investigations have examined the revision strategies of normally developing children demonstrating Stage I, II, III, and V linguistic behavior (Gallagher, 1977; Konefal & Stokes, 1984, Tomasello, Farrar, & Dines, 1984). An investigation that has examined the specific types of revision strategies used by children across each of Brown's (1973) linguistic stages has never been conducted.
The subjects in this study were 70 children, ages 1:6-4:0, demonstrating normal language and cognitive skills. Based on the calculated mean length of utterance (Brown, 1973), each subject was assigned to each one of Brown's stages of linguistic development.
Each child was engaged in a 30-40 minute interaction with an adult conversational partner who signaled noncomprehension of the child's request for specific objects. The children's revised utterances were coded as follows: nonverbal, constituent, and linguistic reductions, nonverbal and verbal substitutions, constituent and linguistic elaborations, and multiple codings.
Results indicated that the children in each of the seven groups utilized more revision strategies in response to communicative failure than any other type of response. Further analysis indicated that children at Brown's Stage III utilized significantly more nonverbal substitutions than the children in any of the other groups. Children at Brown's Early Stage IV and Late Stage IV demonstrated greater use of elaborations than any other type of revision behavior. Children at Brown's Late Stage V used more multiple codings than any other type of revision behavior.
An analysis of the major parts of speech used by the children in their revised utterances was completed. Results indicated that children demonstrating Early Stage I and Late Stage I linguistic behavior used more nouns in their revised utterances. Children demonstrating Stage II, Stage III, and Early IV linguistic behavior used more pronouns. Children demonstrating Late Stage IV-Early Stage V and Late Stage V linguistic behavior used more verbs than any other major part of speech.
These findings indicate that the revision strategies of the normally developing child are systematic. These systematic changes are related to the child's increasing linguistic maturity.
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