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Psychology â€ș Developmental and Educational Psychology

Language Development and Disorders

Works Count: 45311

Description

This cluster of papers focuses on the development and acquisition of language in children, encompassing topics such as early vocabulary development, speech and language disorders, bilingualism, statistical learning, child-directed speech, specific language impairment, syntax processing, social interaction, and neural plasticity.

Keywords

Language Development; Speech and Language Disorder; Bilingualism; Statistical Learning; Child-Directed Speech; Specific Language Impairment; Early Vocabulary Development; Social Interaction; Syntax Processing; Neural Plasticity

Statistical Methods for Speech Recognition

1999-06-01
Don X. Sun , Frederick Jelinek
The speech recognition problem hidden Markov models the acoustic model basic language modelling the Viterbi search hypothesis search on a tree and the fast match elements of information theory the 
 The speech recognition problem hidden Markov models the acoustic model basic language modelling the Viterbi search hypothesis search on a tree and the fast match elements of information theory the complexity of tasks - the quality of language models the expectation - maximization algorithm and its consequences decision trees and tree language models phonetics from orthography - spelling-to-base from mappings triphones and allophones maximum entropy probability estimation and language models three applications of maximum entropy estimation to language modelling estimation of probabilities from counts and the Back-Off method.

Children with Specific Language Impairment

2014-06-13
Laurence B. Leonard
The landmark reference in the field, completely updated: a comprehensive treatment of a disorder that is more prevalent than autism. Children with specific language impairment (SLI) show a significant deficit 
 The landmark reference in the field, completely updated: a comprehensive treatment of a disorder that is more prevalent than autism. Children with specific language impairment (SLI) show a significant deficit in spoken language that cannot be attributed to neurological damage, hearing impairment, or intellectual disability. More prevalent than autism and at least as prevalent as dyslexia, SLI affects approximately seven percent of all children; it is longstanding, with adverse effects on academic, social, and (eventually) economic standing. The first edition of this work established Children with Specific Language Impairment as the landmark reference on this condition, considering not only the disorder's history, possible origins, and treatment but also what SLI might tell us about language organization and development in general. This second edition offers a complete update of the earlier volume. Much of the second edition is completely new, reflecting findings and interpretations based on the hundreds of studies that have appeared since the publication of the first edition in 1997. Topics include linguistic details (descriptive and theoretical), word and sentence processing findings, genetics, neurobiology, treatment, and comparisons to such conditions as autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, and dyslexia. The book covers SLI in children who speak a wide range of languages, and, although the emphasis is on children, it also includes studies of adults who were diagnosed with SLI as children or are the parents of children with SLI. Written by a leading scholar in the field, Children with Specific Language Impairment offers the most comprehensive, balanced, and unified treatment of SLI available. Bradford Books imprint

Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test

2010-01-22
Jonathan M. Campbell , Aila K. Dommestrup
Abstract The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) is an individually administered, norm‐referenced test of single‐word receptive (or hearing) vocabulary. Originally published in 1959, the PPVT has been revised several times 
 Abstract The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) is an individually administered, norm‐referenced test of single‐word receptive (or hearing) vocabulary. Originally published in 1959, the PPVT has been revised several times and currently exists in its fourth edition (PPVT‐4; Dunn & Dunn, 2007). In addition to assessing receptive vocabulary, test authors report that the PPVT‐4 may be used as a means of estimating verbal development (Dunn & Dunn, 2007). Normed with a sample of 3,540 individuals ages 2Âœ to 90 representative of March 2004 U.S. census data, the PPVT‐4 features two parallel forms (Form A and Form B), each consisting of 228 test items. Items consist of two stimuli, a word spoken by the examiner and four pictures on a single card; the examinee selects the picture that best represents the examiner's spoken word. Raw scores may be translated into age‐based standard scores (i.e., M = 100; SD = 15), percentile ranks, stanines, age equivalents, and grade equivalents.

Joint Attention and Early Language

1986-12-01
Michael Tomasello , M. Jeffrey Farrar
This paper reports 2 studies that explore the role of joint attentional processes in the child's acquisition of language. In the first study, 24 children were videotaped at 15 and 
 This paper reports 2 studies that explore the role of joint attentional processes in the child's acquisition of language. In the first study, 24 children were videotaped at 15 and 21 months of age in naturalistic interaction with their mothers. Episodes of joint attentional focus between mother and child--for example, joint play with an object--were identified. Inside, as opposed to outside, these episodes both mothers and children produced more utterances, mothers used shorter sentences and more comments, and dyads engaged in longer conversations. Inside joint episodes maternal references to objects that were already the child's focus of attention were positively correlated with the child's vocabulary at 21 months, while object references that attempted to redirect the child's attention were negatively correlated. No measures from outside these episodes related to child language. In an experimental study, an adult attempted to teach novel words to 10 17-month-old children. Words referring to objects on which the child's attention was already focused were learned better than words presented in an attempt to redirect the child's attentional focus.

The ontogenesis of speech acts

1975-04-01
Jerome S. Bruner
ABSTRACT A speech act approach to the transition from pre-linguistic to linguistic communication is adopted in order to consider language in relation to behaviour generally and to allow for an 
 ABSTRACT A speech act approach to the transition from pre-linguistic to linguistic communication is adopted in order to consider language in relation to behaviour generally and to allow for an emphasis on the USE of language rather than on its form. The structure of language is seen as non-arbitrary in that it reflects both attention structures (via predication) and action structures (via the fundamental case grammatical form of language). Linguistic concepts are first realized in action. A pilot study focusing on the regulation of JOINT attention and JOINT activity within the context of mutuality between mother and infant is discussed, with emphasis on ritualization in mutual play as a vehicle for understanding the development of the formal structures of language.

A precursor of language acquisition in young infants

1988-07-01
Jacques Mehler , Peter W. Jusczyk , Ghislaine Lambertz +3 more

Statistical Learning by 8-Month-Old Infants

1996-12-13
Jenny R. Saffran , Richard Ν. Aslin , Elissa L. Newport
Learners rely on a combination of experience-independent and experience-dependent mechanisms to extract information from the environment. Language acquisition involves both types of mechanisms, but most theorists emphasize the relative importance 
 Learners rely on a combination of experience-independent and experience-dependent mechanisms to extract information from the environment. Language acquisition involves both types of mechanisms, but most theorists emphasize the relative importance of experience-independent mechanisms. The present study shows that a fundamental task of language acquisition, segmentation of words from fluent speech, can be accomplished by 8-month-old infants based solely on the statistical relationships between neighboring speech sounds. Moreover, this word segmentation was based on statistical learning from only 2 minutes of exposure, suggesting that infants have access to a powerful mechanism for the computation of statistical properties of the language input.

Does awareness of speech as a sequence of phones arise spontaneously?

1979-01-01
JosĂ© Morais , Luz Cary , JesĂŒs AlegrĂ­a +1 more

Cognition and the Development of Language

1974-06-01
Lois Bloom , John R. Hayes

Correlates of linguistic rhythm in the speech signal

1999-12-01
Franck Ramus , Marina Nespor , Jacques Mehler
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Foreign-language experience in infancy: Effects of short-term exposure and social interaction on phonetic learning

2003-07-14
Patricia K. Kuhl , Feng‐Ming Tsao , Huei-Mei Liu
Infants acquire language with remarkable speed, although little is known about the mechanisms that underlie the acquisition process. Studies of the phonetic units of language have shown that early in 
 Infants acquire language with remarkable speed, although little is known about the mechanisms that underlie the acquisition process. Studies of the phonetic units of language have shown that early in life, infants are capable of discerning differences among the phonetic units of all languages, including native- and foreign-language sounds. Between 6 and 12 mo of age, the ability to discriminate foreign-language phonetic units sharply declines. In two studies, we investigate the necessary and sufficient conditions for reversing this decline in foreign-language phonetic perception. In Experiment 1, 9-mo-old American infants were exposed to native Mandarin Chinese speakers in 12 laboratory sessions. A control group also participated in 12 language sessions but heard only English. Subsequent tests of Mandarin speech perception demonstrated that exposure to Mandarin reversed the decline seen in the English control group. In Experiment 2, infants were exposed to the same foreign-language speakers and materials via audiovisual or audio-only recordings. The results demonstrated that exposure to recorded Mandarin, without interpersonal interaction, had no effect. Between 9 and 10 mo of age, infants show phonetic learning from live, but not prerecorded, exposure to a foreign language, suggesting a learning process that does not require long-term listening and is enhanced by social interaction.
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Language Comprehension in Language-Learning Impaired Children Improved with Acoustically Modified Speech

1996-01-05
Paula Tallal , Steve Miller , Gail Bedi +6 more
A speech processing algorithm was developed to create more salient versions of the rapidly changing elements in the acoustic waveform of speech that have been shown to be deficiently processed 
 A speech processing algorithm was developed to create more salient versions of the rapidly changing elements in the acoustic waveform of speech that have been shown to be deficiently processed by language-learning impaired (LLI) children. LLI children received extensive daily training, over a 4-week period, with listening exercises in which all speech was translated into this synthetic form. They also received daily training with computer "games" designed to adaptively drive improvements in temporal processing thresholds. Significant improvements in speech discrimination and language comprehension abilities were demonstrated in two independent groups of LLI children.

Early language acquisition: cracking the speech code

2004-10-20
Patricia K. Kuhl

From communication to language—a psychological perspective

1974-01-01
Jerome S. Bruner

Maternal Responsiveness and Children's Achievement of Language Milestones

2001-05-01
Catherine S. Tamis‐LeMonda , Marc H. Bornstein , Lisa Baumwell
This prospective longitudinal study examined the contribution of dimensions of maternal responsiveness (descriptions, play, imitations) to the timing of five milestones in children's ( N = 40) early expressive language: 
 This prospective longitudinal study examined the contribution of dimensions of maternal responsiveness (descriptions, play, imitations) to the timing of five milestones in children's ( N = 40) early expressive language: first imitations, first words, 50 words in expressive language, combinatorial speech, and the use of language to talk about the past. Events‐History Analysis, a statistical technique that estimates the extent to which predictors influence the timing of events, was used. At 9 and 13 months, maternal responsiveness and children's activities (e.g., vocalizations, play) were coded from videotaped interactions of mother – child free play; information about children's language acquisition was obtained through biweekly interviews with mothers from 9 through 21 months. Maternal responsiveness at both ages predicted the timing of children's achieving language milestones over and above children's observed behaviors. Responsiveness at 13 months was a stronger predictor of the timing of language milestones than was responsiveness at 9 months, and certain dimensions of responsiveness were more predictive than others. The multidimensional nature of maternal responsiveness and specificity in mother – child language relations are discussed.

Bilingual Language Switching in Naming: Asymmetrical Costs of Language Selection

1999-01-01
Renata Meuter , Alan Allport

Prevalence of Specific Language Impairment in Kindergarten Children

1997-12-01
J. Bruce Tomblin , Nancy L. Records , Paula Buckwalter +3 more
This epidemiologic study estimated the prevalence of specific language impairment (SLI) in monolingual English-speaking kindergarten children. From a stratified cluster sample in rural, urban, and suburban areas in the upper 
 This epidemiologic study estimated the prevalence of specific language impairment (SLI) in monolingual English-speaking kindergarten children. From a stratified cluster sample in rural, urban, and suburban areas in the upper midwest, 7,218 children were screened. The language screening failure rate was 26.2%. Children who failed the screening and a similar number of controls were then administered a diagnostic battery ( n =2,084) that provided for a diagnosis of SLI using common diagnostic standards. Results provided an estimated overall prevalence rate of 7.4%. The prevalence estimate for boys was 8% and for girls 6%. Variation in prevalence was found among children of different racial/cultural backgrounds; however, these background variables were found to be correlated with parental education, which was also associated with SLI. The parents of 29% of the children identified as SLI reported they had previously been informed that their child had a speech or language problem. The prevalence estimates obtained fell within recent estimates for SLI, but demonstrated that this condition is more prevalent among females than has been previously reported. Also, the clinical identification of these children remains low among kindergarteners.
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Statistical learning of tone sequences by human infants and adults

1999-02-01
Jenny R. Saffran , Elizabeth K. Johnson , Richard Ν. Aslin +1 more
Previous research suggests that language learners can detect and use the statistical properties of syllable sequences to discover words in continuous speech (e.g. Aslin, R.N., Saffran, J.R., Newport, E.L., 1998. 
 Previous research suggests that language learners can detect and use the statistical properties of syllable sequences to discover words in continuous speech (e.g. Aslin, R.N., Saffran, J.R., Newport, E.L., 1998. Computation of conditional probability statistics by 8-month-old infants. Psychological Science 9, 321–324; Saffran, J.R., Aslin, R.N., Newport, E.L., 1996. Statistical learning by 8-month-old infants. Science 274, 1926–1928; Saffran, J., R., Newport, E.L., Aslin, R.N., (1996). Word segmentation: the role of distributional cues. Journal of Memory and Language 35, 606–621; Saffran, J.R., Newport, E.L., Aslin, R.N., Tunick, R.A., Barrueco, S., 1997. Incidental language learning: Listening (and learning) out of the corner of your ear. Psychological Science 8, 101–195). In the present research, we asked whether this statistical learning ability is uniquely tied to linguistic materials. Subjects were exposed to continuous non-linguistic auditory sequences whose elements were organized into `tone words'. As in our previous studies, statistical information was the only word boundary cue available to learners. Both adults and 8-month-old infants succeeded at segmenting the tone stream, with performance indistinguishable from that obtained with syllable streams. These results suggest that a learning mechanism previously shown to be involved in word segmentation can also be used to segment sequences of non-linguistic stimuli.

A First Language: The Early Stages

1974-12-01
Rod Gardner , Beatrice T. Gardner , Roger Brown
For many years, Roger Brown and his colleagues have studied the developing language of pre-school children--the language that ultimately will permit them to understand themselves and the world around them. 
 For many years, Roger Brown and his colleagues have studied the developing language of pre-school children--the language that ultimately will permit them to understand themselves and the world around them. This longitudinal research project records the conversational performances of three children, studying both semantic and grammatical aspects of their language development. These core findings are related to recent work in psychology and linguistics--and especially to studies of the acquisition of languages other than English, including Finnish, German, Korean, and Samoan. Roger Brown has written the most exhaustive and searching analysis yet undertaken of the early stages of grammatical constructions and the meanings they convey. The five stages of linguistic development Brown establishes are measured not by chronological age-since children vary greatly in the speed at which their speech develops--but by mean length of utterance. This volume treats the first two stages. Stage I is the threshold of syntax, when children begin to combine words to make sentences. These sentences, Brown shows, are always limited to the same small set of semantic relations: nomination, recurrence, disappearance, attribution, possession, agency, and a few others. Stage II is concerned with the modulations of basic structural meanings--modulations for number, time, aspect, specificity--through the gradual acquisition of grammatical morphemes such as inflections, prepositions, articles, and case markers. Fourteen morphemes are studied in depth and it is shown that the order of their acquisition is almost identical across children and is predicted by their relative semantic and grammaticalcomplexity. It is, ultimately, the intent of this work to focus on the nature and development of knowledge: knowledge concerning grammar and the meanings coded by grammar; knowledge inferred from performance, from sentences and the settings in which they are spoken, and from signs of comprehension or incomprehension of sentences.

When learning a second language means losing the first

1991-09-01
Lily Wong Fillmore

Language Learnability and Language Development

1986-01-01
Ellen Bialystok , Steven Pinker
Language learnability and language devlopment revisited the acquisition theory - assumptions and postulates phrase structure rules phrase stucture rules - developmental considerations inflection complementation and control auxiliaries lexical entries and 
 Language learnability and language devlopment revisited the acquisition theory - assumptions and postulates phrase structure rules phrase stucture rules - developmental considerations inflection complementation and control auxiliaries lexical entries and lexical rules.

Talking to Children Matters

2013-09-10
Adriana Weisleder , Anne Fernald
Infants differ substantially in their rates of language growth, and slow growth predicts later academic difficulties. In this study, we explored how the amount of speech directed to infants in 
 Infants differ substantially in their rates of language growth, and slow growth predicts later academic difficulties. In this study, we explored how the amount of speech directed to infants in Spanish-speaking families low in socioeconomic status influenced the development of children’s skill in real-time language processing and vocabulary learning. All-day recordings of parent-infant interactions at home revealed striking variability among families in how much speech caregivers addressed to their child. Infants who experienced more child-directed speech became more efficient in processing familiar words in real time and had larger expressive vocabularies by the age of 24 months, although speech simply overheard by the child was unrelated to vocabulary outcomes. Mediation analyses showed that the effect of child-directed speech on expressive vocabulary was explained by infants’ language-processing efficiency, which suggests that richer language experience strengthens processing skills that facilitate language growth.
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Infant sensitivity to distributional information can affect phonetic discrimination

2002-01-01
Jessica Maye , Janet F. Werker , LouAnn Gerken

Early vocabulary growth: Relation to language input and gender.

1991-03-01
Janellen Huttenlocher , Wendy Haight , Anthony S. Bryk +2 more
This study examines the role of exposure to speech in children's early vocabulary growth. It is generally assumed that individual differences in vocabulary depend, in large part, on variations in 
 This study examines the role of exposure to speech in children's early vocabulary growth. It is generally assumed that individual differences in vocabulary depend, in large part, on variations in learning capacity. However, variations in exposure have not been systematically explored. In this study we characterize vocabulary growth rates for each of 22 children by using data obtained at several time points from 14 to 26 months. We find a substantial relation between individual differences in vocabulary acquisition and variations in the amount that particular mothers speak to their children. The relation between amount of parent speech and vocabulary growth, we argue, reflects parent effects on the child, rather than child-ability effects on the parent or hereditary factors. We also find that gender is an important factor in rate of vocabulary growth. Early childhood is a period of rapid linguistic development. By 2 years, the average child acquires 900 root words (cf. Carey, 1978) and at least a rudimentary syntax (cf. Brown, 1973). Although there has been considerable recent interest in syntactic development, much less attention has been devoted to lexical development. Yet in tracing the development of language from its inception, lexical development must necessarily be a focus of study because the acquisition of words constitutes the child's initial achievement as a language user. A certain amount of vocabulary must be acquired before words can be combined into sentences, and, indeed, several months elapse between the time children start to produce words and the time they start to produce multiword utterances. In addition, vocabulary and syntax are not independent aspects of language knowledge; for example, verbs frequently encode actions involving relations among entities (e.g., give, feed) which are specified by the verb together with its arguments. A major concern in the recent work on syntactic development has been with the relative contributions of the child's innate preparedness for language versus language input. Yet the rapid growth of vocabulary in early childhood also is a manifestation of the human preparedness for language, and parallel questions arise concerning the relative contributions of capacity and input. Especially at the start of language learning, innate preparedness surely plays a role in acquiring word meanings because inferences about meanings are based on pairings of words with situations. As Quine (1969) has persuasively argued, the variety of aspects of a situation which might be encoded by a word is enormous. Because of this, Gleitman and Wanner (1982) point out, it seemscritical to posit innately available constraints on the possible meanings children entertain.

How social contexts support and shape language development☆

2006-01-27
Erika Hoff

Computation of Conditional Probability Statistics by 8-Month-Old Infants

1998-07-01
Richard Ν. Aslin , Jenny R. Saffran , Elissa L. Newport
A recent report demonstrated that 8-month-olds can segment a continuous stream of speech syllables, containing no acoustic or prosodic cues to word boundaries, into wordlike units after only 2 min 
 A recent report demonstrated that 8-month-olds can segment a continuous stream of speech syllables, containing no acoustic or prosodic cues to word boundaries, into wordlike units after only 2 min of listening experience (Saffran, Aslin, & Newport, 1996). Thus, a powerful learning mechanism capable of extracting statistical information from fluent speech is available early in development. The present study extends these results by documenting the particular type of statistical computation—transitional (conditional) probability—used by infants to solve this word-segmentation task. An artificial language corpus, consisting of a continuous stream of trisyllabic nonsense words, was presented to 8-month-olds for 3 min. A postfamiliarization test compared the infants' responses to words versus part-words (trisyllabic sequences spanning word boundaries). The corpus was constructed so that test words and part-words were matched in frequency, but differed in their transitional probabilities. Infants showed reliable discrimination of words from part-words, thereby demonstrating rapid segmentation of continuous speech into words on the basis of transitional probabilities of syllable pairs.

Word Segmentation: The Role of Distributional Cues

1996-08-01
Jenny R. Saffran , Elissa L. Newport , Richard Ν. Aslin
One of the infant's first tasks in language acquisition is to discover the words embedded in a mostly continuous speech stream. This learning problem might be solved by using distributional 
 One of the infant's first tasks in language acquisition is to discover the words embedded in a mostly continuous speech stream. This learning problem might be solved by using distributional cues to word boundaries—for example, by computing the transitional probabilities between sounds in the language input and using the relative strengths of these probabilities to hypothesize word boundaries. The learner might be further aided by language-specific prosodic cues correlated with word boundaries. As a first step in testing these hypotheses, we briefly exposed adults to an artificial language in which the only cues available for word segmentation were the transitional probabilities between syllables. Subjects were able to learn the words of this language. Furthermore, the addition of certain prosodic cues served to enhance performance. These results suggest that distributional cues may play an important role in the initial word segmentation of language learners.

A Longitudinal Investigation of the Role of Quantity and Quality of Child‐Directed Speech in Vocabulary Development

2012-06-20
Meredith L. Rowe
Quantity and quality of caregiver input was examined longitudinally in a sample of 50 parent–child dyads to determine which aspects of input contribute most to children’s vocabulary skill across early 
 Quantity and quality of caregiver input was examined longitudinally in a sample of 50 parent–child dyads to determine which aspects of input contribute most to children’s vocabulary skill across early development. Measures of input gleaned from parent–child interactions at child ages 18, 30, and 42 months were examined in relation to children’s vocabulary skill on a standardized measure 1 year later (e.g., 30, 42, and 54 months). Results show that controlling for socioeconomic status, input quantity, and children’s previous vocabulary skill; using a diverse and sophisticated vocabulary with toddlers; and using decontextualized language (e.g., narrative) with preschoolers explains additional variation in later vocabulary ability. The differential effects of various aspects of the communicative environment at several points in early vocabulary development are discussed.
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Child Language, Aphasia and Phonological Universals

1968-12-31
Roman Jakobson
(1969). Child Language, Aphasia and Phonological Universals. British Journal of Disorders of Communication: Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 208-209. (1969). Child Language, Aphasia and Phonological Universals. British Journal of Disorders of Communication: Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 208-209.
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Linguistic Experience Alters Phonetic Perception in Infants by 6 Months of Age

1992-01-31
Patricia K. Kuhl , Karen A. Williams , Francisco Lacerda +2 more
Linguistic experience affects phonetic perception. However, the critical period during which experience affects perception and the mechanism responsible for these effects are unknown. This study of 6-month-old infants from two 
 Linguistic experience affects phonetic perception. However, the critical period during which experience affects perception and the mechanism responsible for these effects are unknown. This study of 6-month-old infants from two countries, the United States and Sweden, shows that exposure to a specific language in the first half year of life alters infants' phonetic perception.

Functional Neuroimaging of Speech Perception in Infants

2002-12-05
Ghislaine Dehaene‐Lambertz , Stanislas Dehaene , Lucie Hertz‐Pannier
Human infants begin to acquire their native language in the first months of life. To determine which brain regions support language processing at this young age, we measured with functional 
 Human infants begin to acquire their native language in the first months of life. To determine which brain regions support language processing at this young age, we measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging the brain activity evoked by normal and reversed speech in awake and sleeping 3-month-old infants. Left-lateralized brain regions similar to those of adults, including the superior temporal and angular gyri, were already active in infants. Additional activation in right prefrontal cortex was seen only in awake infants processing normal speech. Thus, precursors of adult cortical language areas are already active in infants, well before the onset of speech production.

The phonological loop as a language learning device.

1998-01-01
AD Baddeley , Susan E. Gathercole , Costanza Papagno
A relatively simple model of the phonological loop (A. D. Baddeley, 1986), a component of working memory, has proved capable of accommodating a great deal of experimental evidence from normal 
 A relatively simple model of the phonological loop (A. D. Baddeley, 1986), a component of working memory, has proved capable of accommodating a great deal of experimental evidence from normal adult participants, children, and neuropsychological patients. Until recently, however, the role of this subsystem in everyday cognitive activities was unclear. In this article the authors review studies of word learning by normal adults and children, neuropsychological patients, and special developmental populations, which provide evidence that the phonological loop plays a crucial role in learning the novel phonological forms of new words. The authors propose that the primary purpose for which the phonological loop evolved is to store unfamiliar sound patterns while more permanent memory records are being constructed. Its use in retaining sequences of familiar words is, it is argued, secondary.

<scp>SES</scp> differences in language processing skill and vocabulary are evident at 18 months

2012-12-08
Anne Fernald , Virginia A. Marchman , Adriana Weisleder
This research revealed both similarities and striking differences in early language proficiency among infants from a broad range of advantaged and disadvantaged families. English-learning infants (n = 48) were followed 
 This research revealed both similarities and striking differences in early language proficiency among infants from a broad range of advantaged and disadvantaged families. English-learning infants (n = 48) were followed longitudinally from 18 to 24 months, using real-time measures of spoken language processing. The first goal was to track developmental changes in processing efficiency in relation to vocabulary learning in this diverse sample. The second goal was to examine differences in these crucial aspects of early language development in relation to family socioeconomic status (SES). The most important findings were that significant disparities in vocabulary and language processing efficiency were already evident at 18 months between infants from higher- and lower-SES families, and by 24 months there was a 6-month gap between SES groups in processing skills critical to language development.
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The Specificity of Environmental Influence: Socioeconomic Status Affects Early Vocabulary Development Via Maternal Speech

2003-09-12
Erika Hoff
The hypothesis was tested that children whose families differ in socioeconomic status (SES) differ in their rates of productive vocabulary development because they have different language‐learning experiences. Naturalistic interaction between 
 The hypothesis was tested that children whose families differ in socioeconomic status (SES) differ in their rates of productive vocabulary development because they have different language‐learning experiences. Naturalistic interaction between 33 high‐SES and 30 mid‐SES mothers and their 2‐year‐old children was recorded at 2 time points 10 weeks apart. Transcripts of these interactions provided the basis for estimating the growth in children's productive vocabularies between the first and second visits and properties of maternal speech at the first visit. The high‐SES children grew more than the mid‐SES children in the size of their productive vocabularies. Properties of maternal speech that differed as a function of SES fully accounted for this difference. Implications of these findings for mechanisms of environmental influence on child development are discussed.
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L2 cognitive states and the Full Transfer/Full Access model

1996-01-01
Bonnie D. Schwartz , Rex A. Sprouse
This article is a defence of the Full Transfer/Full Access (FT/FA) model. FT/FA hypothesizes that the initial state of L2 acquisition is the final state of L1 acquisition (Full Transfer) 
 This article is a defence of the Full Transfer/Full Access (FT/FA) model. FT/FA hypothesizes that the initial state of L2 acquisition is the final state of L1 acquisition (Full Transfer) and that failure to assign a representation to input data will force subsequent restructurings, drawing from options of UG (Full Access). We illustrate the FT/FA model by reviewing our analysis of the developmental Turkish-German Interlanguage data of Schwartz and Sprouse (1994) and then turn to other data that similarly receive straightforward accounts under FT/FA. We also consider two other competing hypotheses, both of which accept Full Access but not Full Transfer: the Minimal Trees hypothesis (no transfer of functional categories) of Vainikka and Young-Scholten (1994; 1996) and the Weak Transfer hypothesis (no transfer of the values associated with functional categories) of Eubank (1993/94). We provide an example of (extremely robust) L2 acquisition data that highlight the inadequacy of the Minimal Trees hypothesis in regard to stages of Interlanguage subsequent to the L2 initial state. As for Weak Transfer, we show that the morphosyntactic empirical foundations which drive the entire approach are flawed; hence the Weak Transfer hypothesis remains without motivation. Finally, we consider several conceptual issues relating to transfer. These all argue that the FT/FA model provides the most coherent picture of the L2 initial cognitive state. In short, FT/FA embodies the most suitable programme for understanding comparative Interlanguage development.

Constructing a language: a usage-based theory of language acquisition

2003-11-01
Drawing together a vast body of empirical research in cognitive science, linguistics, and developmental psychology, Michael Tomasello demonstrates that we don't need a self-contained instinct to explain how children learn 
 Drawing together a vast body of empirical research in cognitive science, linguistics, and developmental psychology, Michael Tomasello demonstrates that we don't need a self-contained instinct to explain how children learn language. Their linguistic ability is interwoven with other cognitive abilities. Tomasello argues that the essence of language is its symbolic dimension, which rests on the uniquely human ability to comprehend intention. Grammar emerges as the speakers of a language create linguistic constructions out of recurring sequences of symbols, children pick up these patterns in the buzz of words they hear around them. Constructing a Language offers a compellingly argued, psychologically sound new vision for the study of language acquisition.

Spoken Language Development in Children Following Cochlear Implantation

2010-04-20
John K. Niparko
ContextCochlear implantation is a surgical alternative to traditional amplification (hearing aids) that can facilitate spoken language development in young children with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).Objective To prospectively 
 ContextCochlear implantation is a surgical alternative to traditional amplification (hearing aids) that can facilitate spoken language development in young children with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).Objective To prospectively assess spoken language acquisition following cochlear implantation in young children.Design, Setting, and Participants Prospective, longitudinal, and multidimensional assessment of spoken language development over a 3-year period in children who underwent cochlear implantation before 5 years of age (n=188) from 6 US centers and hearing children of similar ages (n=97) from 2 preschools recruited between November 2002 and December 2004.Follow-up completed between November 2005 and May 2008.Main Outcome Measures Performance on measures of spoken language comprehension and expression (Reynell Developmental Language Scales). ResultsChildren undergoing cochlear implantation showed greater improvement in spoken language performance (10.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 9.6-11.2points per year in comprehension; 8.4; 95% CI, 7.8-9.0 in expression) than would be predicted by their preimplantation baseline scores (5.4; 95% CI, 4.1-6.7,comprehension; 5.8; 95% CI, 4.6-7.0,expression), although mean scores were not restored to age-appropriate levels after 3 years.Younger age at cochlear implantation was associated with significantly steeper rate increases in comprehension (1.1; 95% CI, 0.5-1.7 points per year younger) and expression (1.0; 95% CI, 0.6-1.5 points per year younger).Similarly, each 1-year shorter history of hearing deficit was associated with steeper rate increases in comprehension (0.8; 95% CI, 0.2-1.2 points per year shorter) and expression (0.6; 95% CI, 0.2-1.0 points per year shorter).In multivariable analyses, greater residual hearing prior to cochlear implantation, higher ratings of parentchild interactions, and higher socioeconomic status were associated with greater rates of improvement in comprehension and expression. ConclusionThe use of cochlear implants in young children was associated with better spoken language learning than would be predicted from their preimplantation scores.
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Learning How to Mean

1975-01-01
Μ. Α. Κ. Halliday

The Biological Foundations of Language

1967-12-01
Eric H. Lenneberg
The coming of language occurs at about the same age in every healthy child throughout the world, strongly supporting the concept that genetically determined processes of maturation, rather than environmental 
 The coming of language occurs at about the same age in every healthy child throughout the world, strongly supporting the concept that genetically determined processes of maturation, rather than environmental influences, underlie capacity for speech and verbal understanding. Dr. Lenneberg points out the implications of this concept for the therapeutic and educational approach to children with hearing or speech deficits.

Phase 2 of CATALISE: a multinational and multidisciplinary Delphi consensus study of problems with language development: Terminology

2017-03-30
Dorothy Bishop , Pamela Snow , Paul A. Thompson +1 more
Background Lack of agreement about criteria and terminology for children's language problems affects access to services as well as hindering research and practice. We report the second phase of a 
 Background Lack of agreement about criteria and terminology for children's language problems affects access to services as well as hindering research and practice. We report the second phase of a study using an online Delphi method to address these issues. In the first phase, we focused on criteria for language disorder. Here we consider terminology. Methods The Delphi method is an iterative process in which an initial set of statements is rated by a panel of experts, who then have the opportunity to view anonymised ratings from other panel members. On this basis they can either revise their views or make a case for their position. The statements are then revised based on panel feedback, and again rated by and commented on by the panel. In this study, feedback from a second round was used to prepare a final set of statements in narrative form. The panel included 57 individuals representing a range of professions and nationalities. Results We achieved at least 78% agreement for 19 of 21 statements within two rounds of ratings. These were collapsed into 12 statements for the final consensus reported here. The term ‘Language Disorder’ is recommended to refer to a profile of difficulties that causes functional impairment in everyday life and is associated with poor prognosis. The term, ‘Developmental Language Disorder’ ( DLD ) was endorsed for use when the language disorder was not associated with a known biomedical aetiology. It was also agreed that (a) presence of risk factors (neurobiological or environmental) does not preclude a diagnosis of DLD , (b) DLD can co‐occur with other neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g. ADHD ) and (c) DLD does not require a mismatch between verbal and nonverbal ability. Conclusions This Delphi exercise highlights reasons for disagreements about terminology for language disorders and proposes standard definitions and nomenclature.
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Learnability and Cognition: The Acquisition of Argument Structure

1991-01-01
Letitia Naigles

Mechanisms of Language Acquisition

2014-02-04
Brian MacWhinney

Studies of child language development

1973-01-01
Charles A. Ferguson , Dan I. Slobin

Variability in Early Communicative Development

1994-01-01
Larry Fenson , Philip S. Dale , J. Steven Reznick +6 more

Relating Events in Narrative: A Crosslinguistic Developmental Study

1995-12-01
Richard J. Gerrig , Ruth A. Berman , Dan I. Slobin

Children with Specific Language Impairment

1997-09-22
Laurence B. Leonard
Children with Specific Language Impairment covers all aspects of SLI, including its history, possible genetic and neurobiological origins, and clinical and educational practice. Approximately five percent of all children are 
 Children with Specific Language Impairment covers all aspects of SLI, including its history, possible genetic and neurobiological origins, and clinical and educational practice. Approximately five percent of all children are born with the disorder known as specific language impairment (SLI). These children show a significant deficit in spoken language ability with no obvious accompanying condition such as mental retardation, neurological damage, or hearing impairment. Children with Specific Language Impairment covers all aspects of SLI, including its history, possible genetic and neurobiological origins, and clinical and educational practice. The book highlights important research strategies in the quest to find the cause of SLI and to develop methods of prevention and treatment. It also explores how knowledge of SLI may add to our understanding of language organization and development in general. Leonard does not limit his study to English, but shows how SLI is manifested in speakers of other languages. Although his focus is on children, he also discusses adults who exhibited SLI as children, as well as parents of children with the disorder whose own language abilities became the object of study. Bradford Books imprint

Knowledge of language: Its nature, origin, and use

1989-01-01
James W. Ney

Advances in infancy research

1981-01-01
Lewis P. Lipsitt , Carolyn Rovee‐Collier
Preface Dedication Children's Dispositions and Mother-Child Interaction at 12 and 18 Months: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study, Eleanor E. Maccoby, Margaret Ellis Snow, and Carol Nagy Jacklin Malnutrition and Mother-Infant Interaction: 
 Preface Dedication Children's Dispositions and Mother-Child Interaction at 12 and 18 Months: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study, Eleanor E. Maccoby, Margaret Ellis Snow, and Carol Nagy Jacklin Malnutrition and Mother-Infant Interaction: Expanding the Model of Nutritional Effects on Development, Kathleen S. Gorman Singing to Infants: Lullabies and Play Songs, Sandra E. Trehub and Laurel Trainor Prenatal and Infancy Home Visitation by Nurses: A Program of Research, David L. Olds, Charles R. Henderson, Jr. Harriet Kitzman, John Eckenrode, Robert Cole, Robert Tatelbaum, JoAnn Robinson, Lisa M. Pettitt, Ruth O'Brien, and Peggy Hill Linguistic, Cognitive, and Affective Developments in Children with Pre- and Perinatal Focal Brain Injury: A Ten-Year Overview from the San Diego Longitudinal Project, Joan Stiles, Elizabeth A. Bates, Donna Thal, Doris Trauner, and Judy Reilly Introduction to Chapter 5-Turning and Looking: New Directions in Infant Language Research, Edith L. Bavin and Denis Burnham (Chapter 5 is comprised of 12 symposium papers: Paper 1-Familiarity and Novelty Preferences in Infants' Auditory-Visual Speech Perception: Problems, Factors, and a Solution, Dennis Burnham and Barbara Dodd Paper 2-Using the Headturn Preference Procedure to Study Language, Peter W. Jusczyk. Paper 3-Using the Head-Turning Technique to Explore Cross-Linguistic Performance Differences, Cecile Kuijpers, Riet Coolen, Derek Houston, and Anne Cutler Paper 4-The Infant's Response to Maternal Vocal Affect, Christine Kitamura and Dennis Burnham Paper 5-Methodological Issues in Studying the Link Between Speech-Perception and Word Learning, Christine L. Stager and Janet F. Werker Paper 6-Assessing the Speed and Accuracy of Word Recognition in Infants, Daniel Swingley, John P. Pinto, and Anne Fernald Paper 7-Reliability and Validity in Infant Auditory Preference Procedures, John P. Pinto, Anne Fernald, and Gerald W. McRoberts Paper 8-Developmental Changes in the Use of Structure in Verb Learning: Evidence From Preferential Looking, Letitia R. Naigles Paper 9-Preferential Looking: Testing Structural Knowledge, Edith L. Bavin, Roger J. Wales, and Heather Kelly Paper 10-The Use of Preferential Looking as a Measure of Semantic Development, Laraine McDonough, Soonja Choi, Melissa Bowerman, and Jean M. Mandler Paper 11-Introducing the 3-D Intermodal Preferential Looking Paradigm: A New Method to Answer an Age-Old Question, George J. Hollich, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff Paper 12-Non-Developmental Studies of Development: Examples From Newborn Research, Bilingualism, and Brain Imaging, E. Dupoux and J. Mehler) Distractibility During Visual Fixation in Young Infants: The Selectivity of Attention, John E. Richards and Jeffrey M. Lansink Author Index Subject Index

Pitch characteristics of real-world infant-directed speech vary with pragmatic context, perceived adult gender, and infant gender

2025-06-25
Emily M Neer , Anvi Brahmbhatt , Catherine Walsh +1 more | PLoS ONE
Children’s everyday language environments can be full of rich and diverse input, especially adult speech. Prosodic modifications when adults speak to infants are observed cross-culturally and are believed to enhance 
 Children’s everyday language environments can be full of rich and diverse input, especially adult speech. Prosodic modifications when adults speak to infants are observed cross-culturally and are believed to enhance infant learning and emotion. However, factors such as what and why adults are speaking as well as speaker gender can affect the prosody of adults’ speech. This study asks whether prosodic modifications to infant-directed speech depend on perceived adult speaker gender, assigned infant gender, and the perceived pragmatic function of an utterance. We examined 3,607 adult speech clips from daylong home audio recordings of 60 North American, English-speaking, 3- to 20-month-old infants (28 female). Adult speakers used significantly more imperatives and questions and sang more frequently to infants than other adults. While infant-directed speech tended to have greater mean pitch and pitch modulation than adult-directed speech overall, these patterns were modulated, sometimes in complex ways, by pragmatic function, perceived adult gender, and infant gender. For example, we found that female-sounding adult speakers exhibited greater IDS-ADS mean pitch differences than male-sounding adult speakers when providing information or engaging in conversational niceties. An additional example is that male-sounding adults used higher pitch when singing to male infants compared to female infants. These findings invite further research on how individual, demographic, and situational factors affect speech to infants and possibly infant learning. The study’s pragmatic context tags are added to an existing open dataset of infant- and adult-directed speech.
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How Parents Can Support Language Development in Children Approaching Age Two: What to Know and What to Do

2025-06-24
Xiao‐Ying Huang | Journal of language, culture and education.
How to help children develop language or how to maximize language learning is a topic that parents care deeply about. As speech is the fundamental tool children use to communicate 
 How to help children develop language or how to maximize language learning is a topic that parents care deeply about. As speech is the fundamental tool children use to communicate and share information, it is important for parents to understand how language develops in children so they can help their children develop language skills in proper ways. For example, parents of a child who is about to turn two years old and is in the early stage of language learning may seek information about how to facilitate communication skills. This paper will discuss the language development process and theories, as well as factors that influence language learning, to help parents gain a basic understanding of how language is acquired by young children. Theories and factors will be introduced with reference to children approaching two years old. Examples will be provided to illustrate language development theories and facts, along with practical suggestions for parents to support the language development of young children.

Speech-Language Outcomes in Dual-Language Learners Following Early Intervention: What About Caregiver Language?

2025-06-24
Perrine Heymann , Lauren Melissa Gonzalez Hurtado , Ruby Natale +1 more | Journal of Early Intervention
Dual language learners are often underidentified for having language delays and may not receive services in their caregiver’s primary language. This study explored how the language used during evaluations influenced 
 Dual language learners are often underidentified for having language delays and may not receive services in their caregiver’s primary language. This study explored how the language used during evaluations influenced the effectiveness of a brief intervention for children with mild language delays. By examining whether evaluation language impacts intervention outcomes, the study provides insight into optimizing strategies for supporting children with early language challenges. Participants were 433 children ( M age = 31.12 months), who spoke English, Spanish, or are dual language English-Spanish learners who completed a brief speech-language intervention and pre- and post-intervention evaluations. We determined language “match” if the caregiver’s primary language used in the home was the same as the language in which the child received the pre-intervention baseline evaluation. Dyads were a “non-match” if the caregiver’s primary language used in the home was not the same as the language in which the child received the pre-intervention baseline evaluation. Children who had their evaluation conducted in the language that matched their caregiver’s primary language showed more improvements than children whose evaluations did not match their primary language. This study builds on previous findings on the importance of providing dual language evaluations and interventions for children with early language delays.

Speech and Language Therapy Involvement in a Tertiary Centre Joint Orthognathic Clinic: A Service Evaluation

2025-06-24
Nathaniel Lee | International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

How effective is shape coding at improving understanding and use of grammar in school-aged children with Developmental Language Disorder?

2025-06-23
Sophie Brown , Sarah Wright | DECP Debate
Language plays a crucial role in children’s development and daily lives. However, it is estimated that 7.58% of children in the United Kingdom (UK) are entering mainstream schools with a 
 Language plays a crucial role in children’s development and daily lives. However, it is estimated that 7.58% of children in the United Kingdom (UK) are entering mainstream schools with a language disorder, without a known cause, that hinders their academic progress. This is often called developmental language disorder (DLD), although there is contention within the literature and amongst practitioners about the disorder’s diagnostic criteria, name and aetiology. Nevertheless, DLD has a significant negative impact on children’s daily functioning and life outcomes. One aspect of language that children with DLD often struggle with is grammar. Susan Ebbels, a speech and language therapist, created the shape coding system to visually and explicitly teach children with DLD grammar. Shape coding is built upon other similar systems to enable more complex grammar to be represented and is theoretically underpinned by the procedural deficit hypothesis (discussed in this paper). A systematic literature search was conducted with a targeted search question to explore ‘how effective is shape coding at improving understanding and use of grammar in school-aged children with developmental language disorder?’. After screening and exclusions, five studies were identified and evaluated. Due to methodological limitations and variation, it was impossible to conclude whether shape coding is an effective intervention and if it would be effective for any area of grammar. Consequently, further large-scale research is necessary to determine shape coding’s effectiveness. Implications for schools are considered, such as whether shape coding is only appropriate and cost-effective in specialist settings delivered by speech and language therapists.

To mix or not to mix? The relation between parental language mixing and bilingual children’s language outcomes

2025-06-23
Emma Verhoeven , Merel van Witteloostuijn , Ora Oudgenoeg‐Paz +1 more | Bilingualism Language and Cognition
Abstract Language mixing is a common phenomenon in the language input of bilingual children. However, the relation between the frequency of parental language mixing and children’s language development remains unclear. 
 Abstract Language mixing is a common phenomenon in the language input of bilingual children. However, the relation between the frequency of parental language mixing and children’s language development remains unclear. The present study investigates the relation between language mixing as observed in daylong audio recordings (LENA) and as reported by parents in the questionnaire for Quantifying Bilingual Experience (Q-BEx) and children’s language outcomes in the majority and minority language. Participants were 52 3-to-5-year-old Polish-Dutch and Turkish-Dutch children in the Netherlands and Bayesian informative hypothesis evaluations were applied. In 14 out of 15 regression analyses, the LENA and Q-BEx measures yielded similar associations with children’s language outcomes. Parental language mixing was not related to majority language outcomes, but a negative relation was found with expressive vocabulary in the minority language. Longitudinal studies are needed to pinpoint the directionality of this negative relation.

Dual language profiles in Spanish–English bilingual children with and without developmental language disorder

2025-06-23
Danyang Wang , Joseph Hin Yan Lam , Stephanie McMillen +4 more | Bilingualism Language and Cognition
Abstract This study examined the variability of language profiles in Spanish–English bilingual children with and without developmental language disorder (DLD). The data included 529 children between the ages of 5 
 Abstract This study examined the variability of language profiles in Spanish–English bilingual children with and without developmental language disorder (DLD). The data included 529 children between the ages of 5 and 10 years. Eighty-eight of these children were identified as having DLD. A latent profile analysis was conducted based on children’s morphosyntax and semantics performance in Spanish and English. The optimal model identified five different profiles, illustrating the heterogeneity in bilingual development. Children with DLD were observed across all profiles, but most were classified in the only two profiles where lower morphosyntax than semantic performance was observed across languages. These results show the variability in both bilingual children with and without DLD. Additionally, the hallmark deficit of DLD in morphosyntax was confirmed, with the morphological weakness being observed in each of the bilingual children’s languages. Children’s background factors (age, maternal education and language exposure) were associated with profile characteristics.

A Systematic Review of Language Development in Simultaneous Bilinguals and Sequential Bilinguals: An Exploration from Cognitive Approach

2025-06-23
Hong Hanh Van | International Journal of Social Science and Human Research
This systematic review investigates the lexical and grammatical development of simultaneous and sequential bilinguals. Grounded in a cognitive approach, the review analyzes how age of second language onset, input quantity, 
 This systematic review investigates the lexical and grammatical development of simultaneous and sequential bilinguals. Grounded in a cognitive approach, the review analyzes how age of second language onset, input quantity, and contextual variables influence bilingual language acquisition. Findings indicate that monolinguals generally outperform both bilingual groups in vocabulary and grammar tasks, although simultaneous bilinguals tend to perform comparably to monolinguals in receptive vocabulary. Results on lexical and grammatical performance among bilingual groups are inconsistent, potentially due to factors such as age, input quality, and task design. Notably, lexical-grammatical associations are found to be stronger within a single language than across languages, and more robust in the second language than the first among sequential bilinguals. The review highlights the need for longitudinal designs and larger sample sizes in future research to enhance generalizability and understand developmental trajectories more comprehensively.

Including all: the contribution of a diverse research community

2025-06-23
Julie Allan , Anette Bagger , Anna Andersson +7 more | Research Papers in Education

Introduction to the Special Issue of <i>AJSLP</i> Dedicated to the Fourth Biennial International Cognitive-Communication Disorders Conference (ICCDC)

2025-06-23
Angela Ciccia | American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology

Using secondary data analysis to compare core vocabulary lists and sample duration of two data sets of typically developing preschool Afrikaans-speaking children

2025-06-20
Petria Winter , Jeannie van der Linde , Febe de Wet +2 more | Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica
Background: Core vocabulary lists provide an evidence-based method for describing the vocabulary of individuals across various age groups, categorised by different parts of speech. Despite its value, there is a 
 Background: Core vocabulary lists provide an evidence-based method for describing the vocabulary of individuals across various age groups, categorised by different parts of speech. Despite its value, there is a paucity of core vocabulary lists in nonmainstream languages. Resource limitations contribute to this paucity; therefore, more efficient methods for developing core vocabulary lists are needed Purpose: This study aimed to compare two sets of previously collected language samples from typically developing five- to six-year-old Afrikaans-speaking children to compare two different elicitation methods for developing a core vocabulary list. We also compared the duration of the language samples to inform the duration required for accurate and representative language samples for the development of core vocabulary lists. Methods: Using secondary data analysis, we compared the core vocabulary lists from two existing data sets in terms of the number of different words (NDW), the frequency of use of each of these words, type-token ratio (TTR), and parts of speech used by typically developing five- to six-year-old Afrikaans-speaking children. Results: The average recording time for Data set A was 60 minutes in a single session. The corresponding value for Data set B was 250 minutes, recorded over a period of one to three days. A perfect positive Spearman correlation was observed between the results for the two data sets for all parts of speech except interjections and enclitics. Code switching formed part of Data set B’s core words but did not appear in Data set A’s core word list. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that similar core vocabulary lists can be obtained for five- to six-year-old children using a less invasive and time-effective 60-minute elicited method for language samples compared to naturalistic samples collected over one to three days. Proposing a more robust and less time- and resource-intensive method of developing vocabulary lists may further support the development of core word lists across ages and in other languages.

Effectiveness Observation of Oral Motor Training Games in the Rehabilitation of Children with Articulation Disorders

2025-06-20
Guang Sun , Ying Liu , Jing Zhao +2 more | Pacific International Journal
Oral motor training games provide a novel reference for rehabilitation in children with articulation disorders. This study investigates the application effects of this method. Sixty children undergoing rehabilitation for articulation 
 Oral motor training games provide a novel reference for rehabilitation in children with articulation disorders. This study investigates the application effects of this method. Sixty children undergoing rehabilitation for articulation disorders were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group. The control group received conventional rehabilitation interventions, while the observation group incorporated oral motor training games into the baseline protocol. Comparisons were made between the two groups regarding improvements in oral motor function and speech abilities. Results demonstrated that the observation group exhibited significantly higher scores in both oral motor function and speech function compared to the control group (P &lt; 0.05)23. Compared to conventional methods, oral motor training games show distinct advantages in enhancing articulation abilities, oral motor coordination, and speech outcomes for children with articulation disorders56. These findings suggest that oral motor training games can serve as a scientifically validated and effective rehabilitation intervention, offering valuable insights for clinical practice in articulation disorder management.

English-Learning Infants’ Developing Sensitivity to Intonation Contours

2025-06-20
Megha Sundara , SĂłnia Frota | Languages
In four experiments, we investigated when and how English-learning infants perceive intonation contours that signal prosodic units. Using visual habituation, we probed infants’ ability to discriminate disyllabic sequences with a 
 In four experiments, we investigated when and how English-learning infants perceive intonation contours that signal prosodic units. Using visual habituation, we probed infants’ ability to discriminate disyllabic sequences with a fall versus a rise in pitch on the final syllable, a salient cue used to distinguish statements from questions. First, we showed that at 8 months, English-learning infants can distinguish statement falls from question rises, as has been reported previously for their European Portuguese-learning peers who have extensive experience with minimal pairs that differ just in pitch rises and falls. Next, we conducted three experiments involving 4-month-olds to determine the developmental roots of how English-learning infants begin to tune into these intonation contours. In Experiment 2, we showed that unlike 8-month-olds, monolingual English-learning 4-month-olds are unable to distinguish statement and question intonation when they are presented with segmentally varied disyllabic sequences. Monolingual English-learning 4-month-olds only partially succeeded even when tested without segmental variability and a sensitive testing procedure (Experiment 3). When tested with stimuli that had been resynthesized to remove correlated duration cues as well, 4-month-olds demonstrated only partial success (Experiment 4). We discuss our results in the context of extant developmental research on how infants tune into linguistically relevant pitch cues in their first year of life.

kidsNARRATE: a versatile corpus for studying Chinese-english bilingual L2 narrative skills in preschoolers

2025-06-19
Hsiao-wen Hung , Thorsten Piske , Paula Andrea PĂ©rez-Toro +2 more | Language Resources and Evaluation
Abstract Narrative skills are crucial for young children as they not only indicate literacy and academic performance but also serve as effective tools to foster children’s relationships with the world. 
 Abstract Narrative skills are crucial for young children as they not only indicate literacy and academic performance but also serve as effective tools to foster children’s relationships with the world. However, the linguistic resources for narratives produced by bilingual children are often limited, posing major challenges to the fields of child language development and language resource studies. Moreover, with the increasing prevalence of remote data collection, there are few guidelines on how to collect such data remotely. In this context, we present kidsNARRATE. KidsNARRATE is a non-native speech corpus designed to study the narrative comprehension of Chinese-English bilingual children in their L2 English. KidsNARRATE comprises 6 hours of audio recordings of children taking the narrative test Multilingual Instrument for Narratives (MAIN), along with transcriptions, human-rated scores, and annotations of grammatical and pronunciation errors at the word level. The audio recordings of the English section have been processed to meet the requirements of certain machine learning applications. Additionally, for cognitive baseline comparison, kidsNARRATE contains the audio and video data of the same group of children taking the parallel MAIN test in L1 Chinese. In the course of this study, we developed a remote recording method using accessible recording tools and an easy-to-use setup. Despite its simplicity, the data collected using this method meets the rigorous requirements for machine learning studies and is also suitable for linguistic research. This method can serve as a specific template for researchers and educators seeking to remotely record audio and/or video data for linguistic studies. Overall, the rich linguistic content and compatibility with machine learning processes make kidsNARRATE a valuable resource for studies of early child L2 acquisition and the development of children’s speech patterns in the field of automatic speech recognition. Finally, we propose future work regarding data collection methods and second language teaching.

A scoping review of developmental language disorder in Sub-Saharan Africa: Considerations in assessment, diagnosis, and management

2025-06-19
Ibraheem Abiodun Salako | Child Language Teaching and Therapy
This scoping review investigates the current landscape of developmental language disorders research within Sub-Sahara Africa, specifically examining challenges related to assessment, diagnosis, and management. A comprehensive literature search across three 
 This scoping review investigates the current landscape of developmental language disorders research within Sub-Sahara Africa, specifically examining challenges related to assessment, diagnosis, and management. A comprehensive literature search across three electronic databases yielded 20 relevant articles, primarily from South Africa and Nigeria. The review reveals substantial gaps and complexities in understanding developmental language disorder in Africa, influenced by factors such as limited awareness, cultural and linguistic diversity, and the profound impact of religious and cultural beliefs. Key findings highlight the scarcity of culturally and linguistically appropriate assessment tools, potentially leading to misdiagnosis, underdiagnosis, or overdiagnosis of developmental language disorder in African children. The multilingual nature of African societies and a lack of culturally informed frameworks exacerbate diagnostic challenges, making it difficult to distinguish between language differences and disorders. Management is further constrained by a dearth of trained professionals, low prioritization of speech-language therapy services, financial barriers, and limited public awareness. These factors hinder timely identification and effective interventions for children with developmental language disorders. In conclusion, the study emphasizes the pressing need for culturally relevant approaches to addressing developmental language disorder in Africa and other linguistically diverse settings. This includes advocating for community-based interventions and enhancing the capacity of local professionals. The review underscores the urgency of future research efforts to establish prevalence rates, validate assessment tools, and develop culturally appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic strategies tailored to diverse linguistic and cultural contexts across Africa. These findings carry significant clinical implications for speech-language pathologists globally, stressing the importance of adopting culturally responsive practices and continuous professional development to effectively navigate the unique challenges associated with developmental language disorder in people from different regions.

Considering bias in language assessment with bilingual children

2025-06-19
Kerry Danahy Ebert , Giang Pham , HaeJi Lee +1 more | Bilingualism Language and Cognition
Abstract Comparing the performance of bilinguals to monolinguals can introduce bias in language assessment. One potential impact is misidentification of developmental language disorder (DLD). Nonlinguistic cognitive processing tasks may reduce 
 Abstract Comparing the performance of bilinguals to monolinguals can introduce bias in language assessment. One potential impact is misidentification of developmental language disorder (DLD). Nonlinguistic cognitive processing tasks may reduce assessment bias because they measure underlying DLD weaknesses without relying on linguistic stimuli. This study examined the extent to which nonlinguistic cognitive processing tasks showed bias, compared to a traditional language assessment, sentence repetition. Participants were 161 five-to-seven-year olds from diverse language backgrounds who completed nonlinguistic auditory and visual assessments of processing speed, sustained selective attention and working memory. We examined psychometric properties and performance on each task among bilingual and monolingual children. We also conducted bilingual-to-bilingual comparisons to examine performance differences by first-language typology and exposure amount. Results suggest minimal assessment bias in the nonlinguistic cognitive processing tasks, particularly in comparison to sentence repetition. Nonlinguistic cognitive processing tasks may ultimately contribute to less-biased identification of DLD in diverse populations.

Exploring pitch and length perception: An EEG study on quantity discrimination in preschoolers with developmental language disorder

2025-06-19
Liis Themas , Enno Nickel , PĂ€rtel Lippus +2 more | Acta Psychologica

The road to negation: A comparative study of five typologically and culturally diverse languages

2025-06-19
Sakine Çabuk‐Ballı , Ayli̇n C. KĂŒntay , Paul Widmer +1 more | First Language
The acquisition of negation is a key milestone in early language development that enables children to express rejection, non-existence, and deny propositions. In this study, we ask whether the development 
 The acquisition of negation is a key milestone in early language development that enables children to express rejection, non-existence, and deny propositions. In this study, we ask whether the development of the functions of negation follows a universal trajectory or varies based on language-specific features and environmental input. We investigate the acquisition of negative functions in 10 children (age = 2;00-3;00) across five typologically maximally diverse languages: Chintang (Sino-Tibetan), English (Indo-European), Indonesian (Austronesian), Sesotho (Bantu), and Turkish (Turkic). Our findings reveal language-specific developmental trajectories within our sample. Notable differences include variations in the frequency of denial in child speech and prohibition in the ambient language. A strong correlation emerged between the presence of these negative functions in child-directed speech and their use by children. Across the five languages, children pre-dominantly use declarative negative sentences and begin gradually incorporating imperative forms into their repertoire of negative utterances over time. The emergence of negative questions occurs towards the end of age 2, but remains a minor component of children’s negative expressions. The overall pattern observed in our maximum diversity sample highlights the significant role of child-directed input and cross-cultural variation in shaping the developmental trajectory of negative functions.

Vocabulary performance of Malay school-age children in Malaysia: Starting points to developing language assessments for older children with developmental language disorder (DLD)

2025-06-18
Lynette Tan , Yazmin Ahmad Rusli , M. duP. Lee +4 more | International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
The unavailability of language assessments for older Malay children in Malaysia has turned the identification and management of children with language disorders into an arduous process. This has left many 
 The unavailability of language assessments for older Malay children in Malaysia has turned the identification and management of children with language disorders into an arduous process. This has left many children with developmental language disorder undiagnosed and without proper support. This study aims to evaluate the utility of a vocabulary assessment designed for Malay school-age children who predominantly use Malay, focusing on comparisons between typically developing and children at-risk of language disorder to determine whether it can differentiate and highlight qualitative nuances between groups. A total of 118 typically developing children aged 6;0 to 12;11 years (M = 109.20 months; SD = 19.35) completed a newly developed picture pointing receptive and word definition expressive vocabulary task. A small group of children at-risk of language disorder were then matched with typically developing children (n = 15) for comparison. Both receptive and expressive subtests showed good reliability (α = 0.881; α = 0.915 respectively). Findings revealed that vocabulary scores increased with age and that children at-risk of language disorder had significantly poorer scores and qualitative responses compared to their typically developing peers. The vocabulary assessment demonstrates potential for evaluating vocabulary skills among Malay school-age children, with further research needed to establish reference scores for speech-language pathology therapeutic clinical application.

Skewed distributions facilitate infants' word segmentation

2025-06-18
Lucie Wolters , Mitsuhiko Ota , Inbal Arnon | Cognition

Effects of auditory training on children with developmental language disorder: a systematic review

2025-06-18
Wenxin Hu , Jialin Zhang , Tao Chen +1 more | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
Objective This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of auditory training (AT) on various parameters, including language abilities, speech perception, auditory behavior, electrophysiological assessments, and working memory, in children 
 Objective This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of auditory training (AT) on various parameters, including language abilities, speech perception, auditory behavior, electrophysiological assessments, and working memory, in children with developmental language disorder (DLD) population. Methods We searched PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library and CINAHL from inception to August 7, 2023, and further scrutinized the references of all selected articles. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies that investigated the effects of AT on children with DLD. Two researchers independently screened studies, extracted data and assessed risk of bias. Results We included nine studies (eight RCTs and one quasi-experimental) in the systematic review, encompassing 379 children with DLD, 195 in the AT group and 184 in the control group. Compared to controls across five studies, AT did not significantly increase language abilities (expressive, receptive and total). Four out of five studies found significant improvements in children’s speech perception abilities after AT treatment, particularly phonological awareness and phoneme discrimination. Two studies showed improvements in temporal ordering and figure-context assessment, but two other studies found no significant changes. Two studies examining electrophysiological measures reported increased amplitudes in auditory event-related potentials after AT. Results for phonological working memory were inconsistent, with one study showing improvements in non-word repetition and digit span tasks, while another found no significant changes. Conclusion Current evidence does not support the effectiveness of AT in enhancing core language abilities in children with DLD. However, AT may offer potential benefits for specific auditory processing skills and speech perception. More precise evaluation of the effectiveness of AT therapies in this population should be conducted in future research by employing rigorous methodology, bigger sample numbers and standardized outcome measures. Systematic review registration www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/myprospero , identifier CRD42024583480.

Adaptation and Standardization of Two Arabic Communicative Development Inventories for Children Aged 8–30 Months and 30–48 Months in Egypt, Jordan, and Palestine

2025-06-18
Alshaimaa Gaber Salah Abdelwahab , Caroline Floccia , Samuel H. Forbes +6 more | Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research
Purpose: Assessing early language skills through parental report is a cost-effective way to screen for language delays when resources are scarce. A pan-Arabic lexeme approach was tested by extending the 
 Purpose: Assessing early language skills through parental report is a cost-effective way to screen for language delays when resources are scarce. A pan-Arabic lexeme approach was tested by extending the Egyptian adaptation of the MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI) to Jordan and Palestine in infants aged 8–30 months (Arabic CDI Toddler). We also developed a version for children aged 30–48 months (Arabic CDI Child) in the three countries. A fair representation of the population in terms of geographical spread, maternal education, and environmental context was obtained through stratified sampling. Method: The Arabic CDI Toddler, containing a 100-word list with dialect variations from the three countries, was completed online or face-to-face by 427 Egyptian (including 259 from Abdelwahab et al., 2021), 455 Jordanian, and 440 Palestinian mothers. The Arabic CDI Child, comprising a 100-word list, 23 simple/complex pairs of sentences, and 11 language use questions, was completed by 836 Egyptian parents, 318 Jordanians, and 304 Palestinians. Nongovernmental organizations facilitated contact with harder-to-reach families due to illiteracy or limited internet access. Results: Child gender and maternal education effects were found for the Arabic CDI Toddler in Jordan and Palestine, while maternal education effects were generally found across the three countries and all sections of the Arabic CDI Child. For the Arabic CDI Toddler, norms were computed for Jordan and Palestine, separately from Egypt. For the Arabic CDI Child, separate norms were provided for each country. Conclusions: The production of a unique set of norms was contained to two countries for 8- to 30-month-old children, highlighting the limits of a pan-Arabic lexeme approach to the development of parental reports. The Arabic CDI Toddler and CDI Child have the potential to be useful to parents, Early Years professionals, and researchers who need to assess children's Arabic knowledge for detecting those at risk of poor language outcomes and in need of intervention.

Recycling constructional patterns: The role of chunks in early bilingual acquisition

2025-06-18
Nikolas Koch , Antje Endesfelder Quick , Stefan Hartmann | International Journal of Bilingualism
Aims and Objectives: Over the last decades, usage-based research into child language acquisition has shown that multi-word units play a key role in child language acquisition. This paper sets out 
 Aims and Objectives: Over the last decades, usage-based research into child language acquisition has shown that multi-word units play a key role in child language acquisition. This paper sets out to explore the role of multi-word units in the bilingual speech of two German-English bilingual children, focusing on their code-mixing and starting from the hypothesis that code-mixed utterances can be accounted for with the help of constructional patterns that are in turn abstracted away from recurrent multi-word units. Approach: We used the Chunk-Based Learner (CBL), a computational model developed by Stewart McCauley and Morten Christiansen. Data and Analysis: We applied the CBL to longitudinal data from two children growing up bilingually with the same language pair (German-English) but notably different input situations, to detect recurrent multi-word units in the data. Conclusions: The study shows that both monolingual and code-mixed utterances are built from the same constructional patterns, highlighting the crucial role of chunks in language acquisition. Although code-mixed utterances appear highly creative, they largely rely on fixed, formulaic patterns similar to those found in monolingual speech. This finding supports the usage-based approach, suggesting that chunk-based learning is fundamental across different language acquisition contexts. Originality: Using a strictly bottom-up approach allows us to identify recurrent chunks that are used as “building blocks” of early child language, including, importantly, code-mixed utterances. Significance: Our study adds to previous research emphasizing the role of multi-word units in early bilingual acquisition and contributes to ongoing efforts to pinpoint the way in which constructional patterns emerge from multi-word units in more detail.

Early Detection and Risk Assessment of Dysgraphia in Sinhala-Speaking Children Using a Multi-Modal Machine Learning Approach

2025-06-17
Sandushi Weraduwa , Dinesh Asanka , Thilini V. Mahanama | Research Square (Research Square)
<title>Abstract</title> Dysgraphia, a specific learning disability marked by difficulties in handwriting, significantly affects academic performance and self-esteem. Early detection and intervention are critical but often hindered by the lack of 
 <title>Abstract</title> Dysgraphia, a specific learning disability marked by difficulties in handwriting, significantly affects academic performance and self-esteem. Early detection and intervention are critical but often hindered by the lack of diagnostic tools customized for the Sinhala linguistic and cultural context. This research introduces a multi-modal sequence approach to address this gap, leveraging handwriting samples, cognitive evaluations, and linguistic tasks to identify early signs of Dysgraphia. The proposed diagnostic framework integrates two core models: a convolutional neural network (CNN) for handwriting sample analysis and a gradient boosting classifier to evaluate cognitive, behavioral, and personal data, assessing Dysgraphia risk levels. The dataset comprises 373 digitized handwriting samples from 84 primary school children, including 73 dysgraphic and 300 non-dysgraphic samples. These were collected from a local pediatric hospital and primary schools, using psychological assessments from Indian contexts adapted to Sinhala language materials. Handwriting samples were preprocessed by converting them to binary format and applying color inversion for analysis. The Dysgraphia detection model demonstrated an accuracy of 96%, while the Dysgraphia severity assessment model achieved 87%. This multi-modal sequential approach enhances diagnostic precision and reliability, enabling timely intervention and tailored academic support. By incorporating advanced AI techniques, the proposed system addresses a significant need in Sri Lanka’s educational landscape, contributing to more effective learning support for children with Dysgraphia.

A syllable-based approach to whole-word phonology

2025-06-17
Clifton Pye , Donald N. Stengel | Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics
This paper presents the Correct Syllables and Consonants (CSC) measure of whole-word phonology. The CSC refines Ingram's Phonological Mean Length of Utterance (PMLU) by adding a syllable component and simplifying 
 This paper presents the Correct Syllables and Consonants (CSC) measure of whole-word phonology. The CSC refines Ingram's Phonological Mean Length of Utterance (PMLU) by adding a syllable component and simplifying the PMLU scoring procedure for consonants. Like PMLU, CSC provides a preliminary assessment of a child's phonology based on the observation that children are word oriented. The syllable component in CSC captures a prosodic component of whole-word phonology thereby rationalising the scoring procedure for syllabic consonants. The syllable component also links the CSC to broader measures of grammatical development. We demonstrate the CSC procedure in analysing language samples from a typically developing child and a child with phonological impairment. We validate the CSC measure by examining its correlation with PMLU in speech samples of two-year-old typically developing children acquiring six languages. The high correlation of CSC with PMLU establishes the cross-linguistic validity of CSC as a measure of whole-word phonology.

Caregivers’ knowledge of cognitive and language development in early childhood

2025-06-17
Marcela Urtasun , Carolina BermĂșdez , LucĂ­a Risoli +2 more | Archivos Argentinos de Pediatria
Introduction. Child development is a complex process influenced by genetic and environmental factors. An enriching linguistic environment is fundamental for cognitive development and language learning in the first years of 
 Introduction. Child development is a complex process influenced by genetic and environmental factors. An enriching linguistic environment is fundamental for cognitive development and language learning in the first years of life. Objective. To describe caregivers' knowledge of cognitive and language development of children under 5 years of age. Population and methods. Cross-sectional, analytical study. Caregivers of children under the age of 5 years who attended the offices of a pediatric hospital during January-March. A self-administered survey, the Survey of Parent/Provider Expectations and Knowledge (SPEAK), probes caregivers' knowledge of cognitive and language development. Demographic characteristics were explored. A univariate descriptiveanalysis was performed for each variable, and a bivariate analysis was conducted using demographic data as predictor variables and the total survey score as the outcome variable. Results. The median global score obtained in the SPEAK survey was 31 (interquartile range 26-34), out of a maximum possible 54 points. The analysis revealed a significant association between the caregiver's educational level and their knowledge of child development (r = 0.211; p = 0.012). Conclusion. The population studied presented an intermediate level of knowledge about language and cognitive development in early childhood. An association was found between a higher level of education and greater knowledge of development.

Language Comprehension Developmental Milestones in Typically Developing Children Assessed by the New Language Phenotype Assessment (LPA)

2025-06-17
Andrey Vyshedskiy , Ariella Pevzner , Bernd Mack +7 more | Children
Background/Objectives: Three distinct language comprehension phenotypes have previously been identified in individuals with language deficits: (1) individuals with the Command Phenotype are limited to understanding simple commands; (2) individuals with 
 Background/Objectives: Three distinct language comprehension phenotypes have previously been identified in individuals with language deficits: (1) individuals with the Command Phenotype are limited to understanding simple commands; (2) individuals with the Modifier Phenotype demonstrate additional comprehension of combinations of nouns and adjectives; and (3) individuals with the Syntactic Phenotype possess full syntactic comprehension. We hypothesized that typically developing children progress through these same three language comprehension phenotypes and aimed to determine the typical age at which each phenotype emerges. Methods: To assess comprehension in young children, we developed the 15-item Language Phenotype Assessment (LPA). This tool uses toy-animal manipulatives to avoid reliance on picture interpretation and employs brief instructions to reduce auditory memory load. LPA items incorporate elements such as colors, sizes, numbers, spatial prepositions, and other syntactic components, posing novel combinations of words that children had not previously encountered. The LPA was administered to 116 typically-developing children aged 1.5-7 years, recruited by approaching parents in local parks and inviting them to participate. Results: Findings revealed a developmental trajectory consistent with the three previously described phenotypes: 50% of children attained the Command Phenotype by 1.6 years of age, the Modifier Phenotype by 3.0 years of age, and the Syntactic Phenotype by 3.7 years of age. All children acquired the Command Phenotype by 3, the Modifier Phenotype by 4, and the Syntactic Phenotype by 5 years of age. Conclusions: The LPA is an effective tool for assessing comprehension in children aged 1.5-5 years. It allows for the early identification of comprehension difficulties, supporting the timely initiation of appropriate language interventions.

The Impact of Word–Touch Synchrony on Early Language Development: Preliminary Findings From Korean Mother–Child Interactions

2025-06-16
Jongmin Jung , Eon‐Suk Ko | Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research
Purpose: This study evaluates the impact of temporal synchrony between maternal touch and speech on children's early language development. It investigates whether the proportion of word–touch co-occurrence, overlap, and alignment 
 Purpose: This study evaluates the impact of temporal synchrony between maternal touch and speech on children's early language development. It investigates whether the proportion of word–touch co-occurrence, overlap, and alignment precision in maternal input influences language acquisition, hypothesizing that such synchrony boosts infants' attention and aids speech segmentation. Method: We analyzed video recordings of 21 infants aged 6–16 months ( M age = 10 months 21 days, SD = 3 months 1 day), focusing on 6 min of interaction data per mother–infant pair. This age range marks a stage of development where infants are in the process of learning to segment words and associate them with meanings, highlighting their potential to benefit from redundant multimodal cues. The analysis included frequency of word–touch co-occurrence, extent of overlap, and precision of alignment. Infants' language skills were assessed using the Sequenced Language Scale for Infants (Kim, 2002), a standardized parent-report scale designed to evaluate language development in Korean infants. Results: Multivariable linear regression analyses indicated that higher proportions of word–touch co-occurrence and overlap, along with more precise alignment, positively correlated with infants' receptive language scores but did not significantly affect expressive language outcomes. Conclusion: The findings underscore the significant role of temporal synchrony between maternal touch and speech in enhancing infants' receptive language skills.

A corpus analysis of child and child-directed speech in Palestinian Arabic: A first approach to syntactic development

2025-06-16
Tala Nazzal , Anna GavarrĂł | Journal of Child Language
Abstract We present a new corpus of child and child-directed speech (CDS) in Palestinian Arabic. It includes transcriptions following the CHILDES guidelines and features recordings of 16 monolingual Palestinian Arabic-speaking 
 Abstract We present a new corpus of child and child-directed speech (CDS) in Palestinian Arabic. It includes transcriptions following the CHILDES guidelines and features recordings of 16 monolingual Palestinian Arabic-speaking children with an age range of 19–58 months and their adult interlocutors. We analyse the children’s morphosyntactic development and identify a variety of target word orders (45 in child speech, 50 in CDS), with prevalent SV(O) structures; we also found high rates of null subjects in both populations, marginal errors in children’s verbal agreement morphology, and early emergence of serial verb constructions, observed from 23 months of age.

Modeling Longitudinal Trajectories of Word Production With the CDI

2025-06-16
Trevor K. M. Day , Arielle Borovsky , Donna Thal +1 more | Developmental Science
ABSTRACT The MacArthur‐Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDI) are widely used, parent‐report instruments of language acquisition. Here, we focus on the word‐inventory sections of the instruments, and show two different approaches 
 ABSTRACT The MacArthur‐Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDI) are widely used, parent‐report instruments of language acquisition. Here, we focus on the word‐inventory sections of the instruments, and show two different approaches to modeling CDI data, based on real‐world needs. First, we show that Words &amp; Gestures data collected out‐of‐age‐normed‐range can be robustly adjusted to Words &amp; Sentences scores. Second, we demonstrate a novel application of Gompertz growth curves to longitudinal CDI data, especially when the same timepoints were not collected between individuals (i.e., an accelerated longitudinal design). Gompertz curves provide a “growth rate” or an “age at maximum growth” parameter that can be used to summarize vocabulary development. We compare these parameters between healthy developing children in two longitudinal cohorts, as well as a cohort of children with a diagnosis of speech disorder, language disorder, or learning or reading disability, who we show to have lower growth rates. We hope these analyses and results inform future work on longitudinal CDI analyses.

Phonological Awareness Training on Recoding of At-Risk German Kindergarten Children With and Without Behavioral Difficulties

2025-06-15
Anne Barwasser , Hannah Skrobek , Matthias GrĂŒnke | International journal for research in learning disabilities
The number of students who are deficient in literacy is increasing worldwide, possibly exacerbated by concurrent behavioral difficulties. This international challenge leads to the question of how and when to 
 The number of students who are deficient in literacy is increasing worldwide, possibly exacerbated by concurrent behavioral difficulties. This international challenge leads to the question of how and when to support children. Support should start in kindergarten and be focused on the acquisition of phonological awareness. Based on this premise, we evaluated a German phonological awareness intervention with motivational reinforcers to help ensure an easier transition to school for at-risk kindergarteners with and without behavioral difficulties through improved recoding. A single-case study (N = 7) took place over a period of 10 weeks with three weekly intervention sessions. Results showed that all children improved in recoding with significant moderate to large effects and slope effects. Based on these findings, limitations and implications are discussed.

Advancements in phonetics in the 21st century: Infant speech development

2025-06-14
Elizabeth K. Johnson , Katherine S. White | Journal of Phonetics

Speech and Language Assessment in Bilingual Children with Developmental Language Disorder

2025-06-13
Anna Chromå | Listy klinické logopedie

Emotion Regulation and Pragmatic Language Skills in Developmental Language Disorder and Typical Development

2025-06-12
Hilal Yılmaz , Özlem Oğuz | Ankara Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri FakĂŒltesi Özel Eğitim Dergisi
Introduction: Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the learning, expression and comprehension of language. Children diagnosed with DLD may experience difficulties in peer relationships, display behavioral 
 Introduction: Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the learning, expression and comprehension of language. Children diagnosed with DLD may experience difficulties in peer relationships, display behavioral problems, or encounter challenges in social-emotional development due to inadequacies in their pragmatic language skills. This study aims to evaluate the emotion regulation and pragmatic language skills of 60- to 72-month-old children with DLD those with Typical Language Development (TLD), and to examine the relationship between these two skills. Method: Seventeen (1 girl; 16 boys) children diagnosed with DLD and 26 (15 girls, 11 boys) children with TLD aged 60-72 months were included in the study. Data were collected face-to-face using the “Participant Information Form”, “Preschool Emotion Regulation Scale (PERS)” and “Pragmatic Language Skills Inventory Turkish Version (PDBE-TV)”. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 27.0 for Windows. Findings: It was found that children diagnosed with TLD had lower performance in emotion regulation (p = .000) and pragmatic language skills (p = .000) compared to children with TLD. No significant correlation was found between emotion regulation and pragmatic language skills in the group diagnosed with DLD (r = -.083, p = .753) or in the group with TLD (r = .081, p = .694). Discussion: No significant relationship was found between emotion regulation and pragmatic language skills in children with DLD and TLD. Although this result is consistent with some previous studies, the absence of a direct link between language skills and emotion regulation may be due to various factors. These may include unmeasured mediating variables, limitations in the sensitivity of the assessment tools, or the sample size and demographic characteristics. Conclusion and Recommendations: Children with DLD performed significantly lower than their TLD peers in both emotion regulation and pragmatic language skills. However, no significant relationship was found between these two skills in either group. This finding suggests that various cognitive, social, and environmental factors may contribute to the development of emotion regulation and pragmatic abilities. Future studies should consider potential mediating variables such as executive functions, social environmental influences, and parental attitudes to better understand possible indirect associations between these domains. Furthermore, the development of individualized and multicomponent intervention programs for children with DLD may provide a comprehensive approach to support both their language and emotional-behavioral development.

How Do Children Learn Language?

2025-06-12
| Cambridge University Press eBooks

Creating a language-rich environment

2025-06-12
| Cambridge University Press eBooks

Behavioral and Culturally Responsive Interventions: An Ethnographic Case Study on Speech and Language Delays

2025-06-12
Norah H. Alharbi | Child & Family Behavior Therapy

Validity of a new parent-report instrument determining the developmental language level and verbal status of children with communication disorders in Cyprus

2025-06-12
Margarita Kilili-Lesta , Konstantinos Giannakou , Louiza Voniati | Journal of Communication Disorders

Early home learning environment and children’s concurrent and longitudinal language development

2025-06-11
Irena Lovčević | Journal of Child Language
Abstract This study assessed the association between home learning environment (HLE) at 3 years of age and children’s concurrent and longitudinal vocabulary skills. HLE consisted of the following activities done 
 Abstract This study assessed the association between home learning environment (HLE) at 3 years of age and children’s concurrent and longitudinal vocabulary skills. HLE consisted of the following activities done with primary caregivers: storytelling, drawing, music, toys and games, everyday home activities, playing outdoors, and reading. Results demonstrated that a higher HLE score at 3 years was concurrently related to higher expressive vocabulary and grammar scores, and longitudinally to higher receptive language scores from 5 to 9 years of age. Taken together, these findings suggest that children’s HLE represents a significant contributor to children’s concurrent and longitudinal language skills.