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Charting the Frequency and Diversity of Emotion Words in Children's Language: Written Language Matters

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Title: Charting the Frequency and Diversity of Emotion Words in Children's Language: Written Language Matters
Language: English
Authors: Yuzhen Dong (ORCID 0000-0003-2518-9711), Kate Nation (ORCID 0000-0001-5048-6107)
Source: First Language. 2025 45(4):457-475.
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: 19
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Word Frequency, Language Acquisition, Written Language, Emotional Response, Vocabulary Development, Child Development, Reading Processes, Writing (Composition), Books, Preschool Children, Childrens Literature, Parent Child Relationship, Television, Language Usage, Developmental Stages, Age Differences, Language Processing, Picture Books, Programming (Broadcast)
DOI: 10.1177/01427237251339788
ISSN: 0142-7237
1740-2344
Abstract: Emotion words allow us to identify, describe and regulate our emotional states. Emotion vocabulary grows through childhood, but little research has considered emotion words in the context of children's written language. To address this gap, we used a cross-corpus developmental approach to chart the emergence of emotion words in children's reading experience and in their own writing. For comparison, we also captured occurrences of the same set of emotion words in age-matched samples of children's spoken language experience via caregiver child-directed speech and television programmes. We observed that even books targeted at preschoolers for shared reading contained more unique emotion words than both caregiver speech and television language. As the targeted age of books increased through mid-childhood and early adolescence, the frequency and diversity of emotion words increased further. This pattern was also seen in children's own writing, with more unique and diverse emotion words being used by older children. These findings indicate that written language requires children to comprehend and produce emotion words that are rare in everyday conversations. We speculate that this linguistic experience may play a role in emotional development by providing opportunities to consider and communicate mental situations beyond the everyday.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1477907
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Charting the Frequency and Diversity of Emotion Words in Children's Language: Written Language Matters
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yuzhen+Dong%22">Yuzhen Dong</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2518-9711">0000-0003-2518-9711</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kate+Nation%22">Kate Nation</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5048-6107">0000-0001-5048-6107</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22First+Language%22"><i>First Language</i></searchLink>. 2025 45(4):457-475.
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  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
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 19
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Word+Frequency%22">Word Frequency</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Acquisition%22">Language Acquisition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Written+Language%22">Written Language</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emotional+Response%22">Emotional Response</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Vocabulary+Development%22">Vocabulary Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+Development%22">Child Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+Processes%22">Reading Processes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Writing+%28Composition%29%22">Writing (Composition)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Books%22">Books</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preschool+Children%22">Preschool Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Childrens+Literature%22">Childrens Literature</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Child+Relationship%22">Parent Child Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Television%22">Television</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Usage%22">Language Usage</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Developmental+Stages%22">Developmental Stages</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Age+Differences%22">Age Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Processing%22">Language Processing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Picture+Books%22">Picture Books</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Programming+%28Broadcast%29%22">Programming (Broadcast)</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1177/01427237251339788
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  Data: 0142-7237<br />1740-2344
– Name: Abstract
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  Data: Emotion words allow us to identify, describe and regulate our emotional states. Emotion vocabulary grows through childhood, but little research has considered emotion words in the context of children's written language. To address this gap, we used a cross-corpus developmental approach to chart the emergence of emotion words in children's reading experience and in their own writing. For comparison, we also captured occurrences of the same set of emotion words in age-matched samples of children's spoken language experience via caregiver child-directed speech and television programmes. We observed that even books targeted at preschoolers for shared reading contained more unique emotion words than both caregiver speech and television language. As the targeted age of books increased through mid-childhood and early adolescence, the frequency and diversity of emotion words increased further. This pattern was also seen in children's own writing, with more unique and diverse emotion words being used by older children. These findings indicate that written language requires children to comprehend and produce emotion words that are rare in everyday conversations. We speculate that this linguistic experience may play a role in emotional development by providing opportunities to consider and communicate mental situations beyond the everyday.
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        Value: 10.1177/01427237251339788
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 19
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    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Word Frequency
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Language Acquisition
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Written Language
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      – SubjectFull: Emotional Response
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      – SubjectFull: Vocabulary Development
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      – SubjectFull: Child Development
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      – SubjectFull: Reading Processes
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      – SubjectFull: Writing (Composition)
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      – SubjectFull: Books
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      – SubjectFull: Preschool Children
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      – SubjectFull: Childrens Literature
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      – SubjectFull: Parent Child Relationship
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      – SubjectFull: Television
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      – SubjectFull: Language Usage
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      – SubjectFull: Developmental Stages
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      – SubjectFull: Age Differences
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      – SubjectFull: Language Processing
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      – TitleFull: Charting the Frequency and Diversity of Emotion Words in Children's Language: Written Language Matters
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