VARIATION IN CHILD VARIATION IN CHILD FIRST LANGUAGE FIRST LANGUAGE
ACQUISITIONACQUISITION
The issue of variation in FLA and The issue of variation in FLA and SLA/SLLSLA/SLL
Variables influenceVariables influence
IN SLL/SLAIN SLL/SLArate rate final attainmentfinal attainment
IN FLAIN FLArate rate
Variables in FLAVariables in FLA
Effect of situationEffect of situation Inherited attributesInherited attributes
GenderGender IntelligenceIntelligence Personality and learning stylePersonality and learning style
Social backgroundSocial background Experience of linguistic dataExperience of linguistic data
Amount and type of conversationAmount and type of conversation Qualitative differences in adult-child interactionQualitative differences in adult-child interaction
Effect of situationEffect of situation
Amount and type of mothereseAmount and type of mothereseBut not all communities use motherese!But not all communities use motherese!
Activities, scenes of language use – Activities, scenes of language use – functionalism!!functionalism!!
Interaction with adults vs.Interaction with adults vs. childrenchildrenRoles of caretakers (carer, playmate, Roles of caretakers (carer, playmate,
controller, etc.)controller, etc.)
Gósy (1999): detrimental noiseGósy (1999): detrimental noise
Inherited attributes:Inherited attributes:GenderGender
Girls: advantage in rateGirls: advantage in rate (Gósy: at early (Gósy: at early childhood and at 6-7 years)childhood and at 6-7 years)
Reason: Reason: different expectations different expectations of and communication of and communication with them with them
Strengthens by adulthood:Strengthens by adulthood: cooperationcooperationinitiationinitiation
IntelligenceIntelligence
Studies relating to Studies relating to
- size of vocabulary- size of vocabulary
- rate of acquisition of syntactic - rate of acquisition of syntactic structuresstructures
- acquiring spatial/temporal sequences- acquiring spatial/temporal sequencesNo significant resultNo significant result
- difficult to define intelligence- difficult to define intelligence
- many types: IQ vs. EQ!- many types: IQ vs. EQ!
Personality and learning stylePersonality and learning style
Extroversion/introversion:Extroversion/introversion:ininiitiation tiation speed and easespeed and ease
Sociability: Sociability: „„join and communicate”join and communicate”
„„Referential” and Referential” and „„noun lover” kids noun lover” kids learn vocab. faster learn vocab. faster than „expressive” onesthan „expressive” ones
Two-element combinations of SVO Two-element combinations of SVO
Social backgroundSocial background
Points of disagreement:Points of disagreement:Nature and size of variationNature and size of variationResources or use of resources?Resources or use of resources?Parameters to distinguish social Parameters to distinguish social
groupinggroupingMechanism responsible for the Mechanism responsible for the
relationship betw. group membership relationship betw. group membership and linguistic variationand linguistic variation
Early studiesEarly studies
Berstein: clear advantage of middle-Berstein: clear advantage of middle-class children in class children in
rate of learning,rate of learning,linguistic proficiency,linguistic proficiency,style (exploratory, explicit language use).style (exploratory, explicit language use).
Labov: Labov:
legitimising dialectslegitimising dialects
Bristol study:Bristol study:Full range of family backgroundsFull range of family backgroundsNaturally occurring speech samplesNaturally occurring speech samplesNo researcher present when recordingNo researcher present when recordingLegitimising local dialectsLegitimising local dialects
No significant difference inNo significant difference in
- the amount of speech- the amount of speech
- types of contexts- types of contexts
- range of pragmatic functions- range of pragmatic functions
- rate: controversial- rate: controversial
Tough (1977) on parental Tough (1977) on parental status status
Aspects:Aspects:Self-maintainingSelf-maintainingDirectivesDirectivesInterpretativesInterpretativesProjectivesProjectives
High FB children did betterHigh FB children did better
Experience of linguistic Experience of linguistic interaction:interaction:
Amount and type of Amount and type of conversation conversation Significant relation betw. amount of Significant relation betw. amount of
speech and rate of progressspeech and rate of progressRate of development and joint Rate of development and joint
enterpriseenterpriseAs opposed to mothering and independentAs opposed to mothering and independent
Family statusFamily statusFirst-borns and kids with no siblings close First-borns and kids with no siblings close
in age progress fasterin age progress fasterSignificance of parental attentionSignificance of parental attention
Qualitative differences in adult Qualitative differences in adult and child interactionand child interaction
Motherese – modification inMotherese – modification inLengthLengthComplexityComplexityIntonationIntonationRange of sentence Range of sentence meaning relationsmeaning relationsVocabularyVocabularyInterpersonal functionsInterpersonal functionsDiscourse functionsDiscourse functions
Rate of development correlates withRate of development correlates with
More finely-tuned talk (sensitive and More finely-tuned talk (sensitive and responsive to kids’ reaction)responsive to kids’ reaction)
Matching – referential - acceptMatching – referential - acceptinging parental behaviourparental behaviour
ConConttingent speech ingent speech Concern to facilitate conversation Concern to facilitate conversation
Vs.Vs. concern to control behaviourconcern to control behaviour
(= expressive, unidirectional!)(= expressive, unidirectional!)
ConclusionConclusion
Variables mainly influence rateVariables mainly influence rate Controversial influence:Controversial influence:
GenderGender PersonalityPersonality Social classSocial class
Strongest influence:Strongest influence: Quality and amount of caretaker talkQuality and amount of caretaker talk
Interactive community is essential for Interactive community is essential for FLAFLA
Rehabilitation potential limited in timeRehabilitation potential limited in time
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