View in EDS

The Acquisition of the Passive Voice in Northern East Cree

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: The Acquisition of the Passive Voice in Northern East Cree
Language: English
Authors: Ryan E. Henke, Julie Brittain (ORCID 0000-0001-5792-6849), Kamil U. Deen, Sara Acton
Source: First Language. 2024 44(1):44-73.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 30
Publication Date: 2024
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, American Indian Languages, Language Acquisition, Native Language, Morphology (Languages), Verbs, Preschool Children, Case Studies
Geographic Terms: Canada
DOI: 10.1177/01427237231198758
ISSN: 0142-7237
1740-2344
Abstract: This article analyzes the acquisition of the passive voice in Northern East (NE) Cree and pays particular attention to the interaction of frequency effects and language-specific cues in the way children form and employ expectations, the process of anticipating oncoming structure in the ambient language. The passive has long been of interest in first-language acquisition, and expectations may play a role in the reported challenges acquiring the passive in languages such as English. We present two studies analyzing approximately 24 hours of naturalistic video recordings involving one adult and two children: Daisy (age 3;08-5;11) and Billy (4;06-5;10). Study 1 examines the passive voice in child-directed speech (CDS). CDS employs passive verbs frequently, at rates much higher than what has been reported for other languages. Passives also typically occur without overt arguments and most often are derived from verbs with two animate participants. Study 2 traces the acquisition of the passive by Daisy and Billy. Daisy demonstrates productivity with all three passive suffixes by age 3;11. Billy's recordings begin at a later age, and he shows productivity with suffixes -naaniu at 4;06, -ikiwi at 4;10, and -ikiniw at 5;05. Both children produce passives at rates much higher than what has been reported in child speech for other languages. They also most frequently produce passives without overt arguments, and they show no difficulties passivizing verbs with two animate arguments. These results expand the typological purview of passives research and shed additional light on the role of expectations in acquiring the passive voice. The combination of high frequency and particular structural characteristics for the passive voice in Cree CDS allows children to build expectations differing greatly from those of children acquiring languages such as English. In turn, children acquiring NE Cree do not show the same difficulties in acquiring the passive voice.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2024
Accession Number: EJ1409588
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1409588
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: The Acquisition of the Passive Voice in Northern East Cree
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ryan+E%2E+Henke%22">Ryan E. Henke</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Julie+Brittain%22">Julie Brittain</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5792-6849">0000-0001-5792-6849</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kamil+U%2E+Deen%22">Kamil U. Deen</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sara+Acton%22">Sara Acton</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22First+Language%22"><i>First Language</i></searchLink>. 2024 44(1):44-73.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 30
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2024
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22American+Indian+Languages%22">American Indian Languages</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Acquisition%22">Language Acquisition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Native+Language%22">Native Language</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Morphology+%28Languages%29%22">Morphology (Languages)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Verbs%22">Verbs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preschool+Children%22">Preschool Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Case+Studies%22">Case Studies</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Canada%22">Canada</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1177/01427237231198758
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0142-7237<br />1740-2344
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: This article analyzes the acquisition of the passive voice in Northern East (NE) Cree and pays particular attention to the interaction of frequency effects and language-specific cues in the way children form and employ expectations, the process of anticipating oncoming structure in the ambient language. The passive has long been of interest in first-language acquisition, and expectations may play a role in the reported challenges acquiring the passive in languages such as English. We present two studies analyzing approximately 24 hours of naturalistic video recordings involving one adult and two children: Daisy (age 3;08-5;11) and Billy (4;06-5;10). Study 1 examines the passive voice in child-directed speech (CDS). CDS employs passive verbs frequently, at rates much higher than what has been reported for other languages. Passives also typically occur without overt arguments and most often are derived from verbs with two animate participants. Study 2 traces the acquisition of the passive by Daisy and Billy. Daisy demonstrates productivity with all three passive suffixes by age 3;11. Billy's recordings begin at a later age, and he shows productivity with suffixes -naaniu at 4;06, -ikiwi at 4;10, and -ikiniw at 5;05. Both children produce passives at rates much higher than what has been reported in child speech for other languages. They also most frequently produce passives without overt arguments, and they show no difficulties passivizing verbs with two animate arguments. These results expand the typological purview of passives research and shed additional light on the role of expectations in acquiring the passive voice. The combination of high frequency and particular structural characteristics for the passive voice in Cree CDS allows children to build expectations differing greatly from those of children acquiring languages such as English. In turn, children acquiring NE Cree do not show the same difficulties in acquiring the passive voice.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2024
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1409588
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1409588
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1177/01427237231198758
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 30
        StartPage: 44
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: American Indian Languages
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Language Acquisition
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Native Language
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Morphology (Languages)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Verbs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Preschool Children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Case Studies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Canada
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: The Acquisition of the Passive Voice in Northern East Cree
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Ryan E. Henke
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Julie Brittain
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Kamil U. Deen
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Sara Acton
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2024
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0142-7237
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1740-2344
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 44
            – Type: issue
              Value: 1
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: First Language
              Type: main
ResultId 1