Measuring the Complex Syntax of School-Aged Children in Language Sample Analysis: A Known-Groups Validation Study
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| Title: | Measuring the Complex Syntax of School-Aged Children in Language Sample Analysis: A Known-Groups Validation Study |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Cahill, Peter (ORCID |
| Source: | International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders. Sep-Oct 2020 55(5):765-776. |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 12 |
| Publication Date: | 2020 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Elementary Education |
| Descriptors: | Syntax, Developmental Disabilities, Language Impairments, Foreign Countries, Elementary School Students, Bilingual Students, Monolingualism, Bilingualism, English, French, Measures (Individuals) |
| Geographic Terms: | Canada |
| DOI: | 10.1111/1460-6984.12562 |
| ISSN: | 1368-2822 |
| Abstract: | Background: Complex syntax is affected by developmental language disorder (DLD) during the school years. Targeting areas of syntactic difficulty for children with DLD may yield useful assessment techniques. Aims: To determine whether wh-movement can be measured in language samples from typically developing mono- and bilingual school-aged children, and, if so, to provide preliminary evidence of validity by comparison with traditional measures of syntax in a cross-sectional, known-groups design. Methods & Procedures: Participants were 48 typically developing children recruited from the Canadian province of Nova Scotia in four groups--monolingual English and bilingual French-English children in early (7-8 years of age) and late (11-12 years of age) elementary school. Language samples were collected and analysed with mean use of wh-movement, mean length of utterance and clausal density. These measures were compared for effects of age, bilingual development and elicitation task. Outcomes & Results: The results from all measures closely paralleled each other, providing preliminary evidence of validity. Wh-movement-based and traditional measures demonstrated similar age-related and discourse genre effects. Neither demonstrated an effect of mono- versus bilingual development. Conclusions & Implications: The results confirm research interest in syntactic movement as an area of language assessment. Further research is required to understand its application to clinical populations. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2020 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1266770 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Background: Complex syntax is affected by developmental language disorder (DLD) during the school years. Targeting areas of syntactic difficulty for children with DLD may yield useful assessment techniques. Aims: To determine whether wh-movement can be measured in language samples from typically developing mono- and bilingual school-aged children, and, if so, to provide preliminary evidence of validity by comparison with traditional measures of syntax in a cross-sectional, known-groups design. Methods & Procedures: Participants were 48 typically developing children recruited from the Canadian province of Nova Scotia in four groups--monolingual English and bilingual French-English children in early (7-8 years of age) and late (11-12 years of age) elementary school. Language samples were collected and analysed with mean use of wh-movement, mean length of utterance and clausal density. These measures were compared for effects of age, bilingual development and elicitation task. Outcomes & Results: The results from all measures closely paralleled each other, providing preliminary evidence of validity. Wh-movement-based and traditional measures demonstrated similar age-related and discourse genre effects. Neither demonstrated an effect of mono- versus bilingual development. Conclusions & Implications: The results confirm research interest in syntactic movement as an area of language assessment. Further research is required to understand its application to clinical populations. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1368-2822 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/1460-6984.12562 |
