L1 Acquisition—12 - 36 months. Stages of First Language Acquisition—12 months on Holophrastic...

L1 Acquisition—12 L1 Acquisition—12 -36 months-36 months

Stages of First Language Stages of First Language Acquisition—12 months Acquisition—12 months onon

Holophrastic stage — 12-24 monthsHolophrastic stage — 12-24 months idiomorphsidiomorphs mutual exclusivity and whole object biasmutual exclusivity and whole object bias overgeneralizations, undergeneralizationsovergeneralizations, undergeneralizations referential vs. expressive childrenreferential vs. expressive children

Two-word Stage — 24-30 monthsTwo-word Stage — 24-30 months Subject-verb ‘Mary go.’Subject-verb ‘Mary go.’ Verb-modifier ‘Push truck.’Verb-modifier ‘Push truck.’ Possessor-possesed ‘Mommy sock’Possessor-possesed ‘Mommy sock’ Content words, no function wordsContent words, no function words

Telegraphic Stage — 30-36 monthsTelegraphic Stage — 30-36 months 2-5 words with little extra morphology2-5 words with little extra morphology Morphological overgeneralizationMorphological overgeneralization Easier, more productive morphemes firstEasier, more productive morphemes first

Basic methods for studying Basic methods for studying children post linguisticallychildren post linguistically

1.1. ObservationsObservations

2.2. Wug testsWug tests

3.3. ERPs (Event related potentials)ERPs (Event related potentials)

4.4. Experimental trickeryExperimental trickery

1. Observations1. Observations

Many of these studies done in 1950’s – Many of these studies done in 1950’s – 70’s70’s

Usually linguists or psychologists would Usually linguists or psychologists would follow own children around with tape follow own children around with tape recorder and analyze their language recorder and analyze their language developmentdevelopment


At 1 year; 1 month (babbling) (in IPA):At 1 year; 1 month (babbling) (in IPA):ProductionProduction ProductionProduction/ava//ava/ /baewa//baewa//aelu//aelu/ /daev/daevu/u//aw/aw// /gigi//gigi//n/n// /paba//paba/

At 1 year, 6 months:At 1 year, 6 months:GlossGloss ProductionProduction GlossGloss ProductionProductionbabybaby /bebi//bebi/ gogo /go//go/bearbear /baeu//baeu/ bigbig /gIg//gIg/bibbib /bIb//bIb/ BrendaBrenda /pEnt/pEnt//blueblue /pu//pu/ walkwalk /wak//wak/

M: Did you tell Daddy what you had for tea? M: Did you tell Daddy what you had for tea? N: aga (eggs) and gagadoodoodoo (cockadoodledoo = cornflakes [because of the N: aga (eggs) and gagadoodoodoo (cockadoodledoo = cornflakes [because of the

picture on the box] cockadoodledoo also means a weathervane on a church picture on the box] cockadoodledoo also means a weathervane on a church spire and so he remembers his walk as well) tika (sticks) too.spire and so he remembers his walk as well) tika (sticks) too.

M: You didn’t have cornflakes for tea! And you didn’t have sticks either! M: You didn’t have cornflakes for tea! And you didn’t have sticks either! N: ho (holes) too. (laughing—thinking this is a joke)N: ho (holes) too. (laughing—thinking this is a joke)M: You didn’t have sticks and holes for tea!M: You didn’t have sticks and holes for tea!N: doba (toast) Go wakin’, dada. (“I went walking, daddy”)N: doba (toast) Go wakin’, dada. (“I went walking, daddy”)F: What did you see on your walk?F: What did you see on your walk?N: see ka (“I saw a car”)N: see ka (“I saw a car”)F: Yes, you went for a ride in a car, didn’t you? What else did you see?F: Yes, you went for a ride in a car, didn’t you? What else did you see?N: piti dedi mamma on gara (“a pretty flower (daisy) for momma in the garden”). N: piti dedi mamma on gara (“a pretty flower (daisy) for momma in the garden”).

[The flower wasn’t a daisy, but he calls all flowers daisies][The flower wasn’t a daisy, but he calls all flowers daisies](Parents get N. ready for bed)(Parents get N. ready for bed)N: Help? Need help? (meaning “I need help).N: Help? Need help? (meaning “I need help).M: What is it you can’t find? Is it something under there?M: What is it you can’t find? Is it something under there?N, looking under couch: ba (“a ball”)N, looking under couch: ba (“a ball”)(Later, looking at a book with his mother)(Later, looking at a book with his mother)N: ‘ats dat? (“What’s that?)N: ‘ats dat? (“What’s that?)M: That’s butter.M: That’s butter.N: (repeating) taba (butter) ‘ats dat? (“What’s that?”)N: (repeating) taba (butter) ‘ats dat? (“What’s that?”)M: Some ducks and a doggie.M: Some ducks and a doggie.N: Sa kuks (“some ducks”) No goggie (but there isn’t a doggie)N: Sa kuks (“some ducks”) No goggie (but there isn’t a doggie)


Basic findings: Basic findings:

Growth of Mean Length of Utterance (MLU): number of morphemes used in a single utterance

Baby socks

Talked today

Walks dogs


Brown’s (1973) Stages Brown’s (1973) Stages MMean ean LLength of ength of UUtterance is a good index of child’s language tterance is a good index of child’s language maturity. Stages indicate growth of language maturity. Stages indicate growth of language complexity.complexity.

Stage 1 - 12 to 26 months of age = MLU 1.00 to 2.00 Stage 1 - 12 to 26 months of age = MLU 1.00 to 2.00




Stage 5 - 41 to 46 months of age = MLU 3.75 to 4.50Stage 5 - 41 to 46 months of age = MLU 3.75 to 4.50


Corpora for children’s language acquisitionCorpora for children’s language acquisition

Child Language Data Exchange System Child Language Data Exchange System (CHILDES)(CHILDES)

http://childes.psy.cmu.edu/data/http://childes.psy.cmu.edu/data/ http://www.let.uu.nl/~Jacqueline.vanKamhttp://www.let.uu.nl/~Jacqueline.vanKam

pen/personal/CHILDES-English/childes-cpen/personal/CHILDES-English/childes-corpus.htmorpus.htm


Pros?Pros?

Cons?Cons?

2. Wug Studies2. Wug Studies

http://www.maccs.mq.edu.au/~gtesan/AcquisitionMq/videos/Berkosexp.mov


Rules governing the use of irregulars follow Rules governing the use of irregulars follow a da developmental U-shaped curveevelopmental U-shaped curve

1.1. wentwent menmen worstworst2.2. goedgoed mansmans baddestbaddest3.3. wentedwented mensmens worstestworstest4.4. wentwent menmen worstworst


Developmental U-shaped curveDevelopmental U-shaped curve

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1 2 3 4 5 6Time

Pro

port

ion

corr

ect

Developmental U-shaped curve


14 months: What that? Who that? 14 months: What that? Who that? 15 months: all-gone milk? no-no dada, woof-woof doggy, go store, daddy go?15 months: all-gone milk? no-no dada, woof-woof doggy, go store, daddy go?21 months: Be quiet Shag. Baby cry. Baby crying. 21 months: Be quiet Shag. Baby cry. Baby crying. 24 months: 24 months: Why not here?Why not here?

Don’t no play outside.Don’t no play outside.25 months: 25 months: Where daddy go?Where daddy go?

I no go outside.I no go outside.I don’t can go outside.I don’t can go outside.

4 years: 4 years: God won’t let you die, Mom, until your child knows how to cook, God won’t let you die, Mom, until your child knows how to cook, will he?will he?

5 years:5 years: Child: Was Daddy a Navy man?Child: Was Daddy a Navy man?Mother: Yes.Mother: Yes.Child: Are they smart?Child: Are they smart?Mother: YesMother: YesChild: Was Daddy smart?Child: Was Daddy smart?Mother: YesMother: YesChild: Why isn’t he anymore?Child: Why isn’t he anymore?


Pros?Pros?

Cons?Cons?

3. ERPs3. ERPs

Attach hat to babies headAttach hat to babies headHat has electrodes that measureHat has electrodes that measureElectrical movement across the Electrical movement across the skullskull

Electrical movement tells usElectrical movement tells us1.1. What part of the brain is activatedWhat part of the brain is activated2.2. When the brain reacts to the stimulus and When the brain reacts to the stimulus and

how much it reactshow much it reacts

3. ERPs3. ERPs

Basic findings . . .

3. ERPs3. ERPs

Pros?Pros?

Cons?Cons?

Stages of First Language Stages of First Language AcquisitionAcquisition

Telegraphic Stage — 2-5 yearsTelegraphic Stage — 2-5 years learning 20-30 words per daylearning 20-30 words per day more complex syntaxmore complex syntax

Fine-tuning — 5-10 yrs.Fine-tuning — 5-10 yrs. refining grammarrefining grammar

building vocabularybuilding vocabulary

4. Experimental Trickery4. Experimental Trickery

http://www.maccs.mq.edu.au/~gtesan/Achttp://www.maccs.mq.edu.au/~gtesan/AcquisitionMq/videos/MedialWHquestions.quisitionMq/videos/MedialWHquestions.movmov


How would you test . . .How would you test . . .

3-5 year olds’ comprehension of the passive3-5 year olds’ comprehension of the passive 24 month olds’ basic word learning (teaching words they’ve never 24 month olds’ basic word learning (teaching words they’ve never

encountered before)encountered before) The influence of motherese on learning questionsThe influence of motherese on learning questions 3 year olds’ production of embedded clauses (before you touch 3 year olds’ production of embedded clauses (before you touch

your nose touch your head)your nose touch your head) 3 years olds’ understanding of pronoun use in stories3 years olds’ understanding of pronoun use in stories Children’s progressive comprehension (over time) of the phrase Children’s progressive comprehension (over time) of the phrase

“she’s easy to see”“she’s easy to see” 4 year old children’s ability to understand jokes or sarcasm4 year old children’s ability to understand jokes or sarcasm 3 year olds’ comprehension of embedded clauses (before you 3 year olds’ comprehension of embedded clauses (before you

touch your nose touch your head)touch your nose touch your head)


Pros?Pros?

Cons?Cons?

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