History of Child Language Studies

Question 1

3 Major Periods of Child Language Studies

Answer 1

1) Diary Studies (1876-1926)
2) Large Sample Studies (1926-1957)
3) Longitudinal & Experimental Studies (1957-Present)

Question 2

Diary Study Method

Answer 2

Parent Observer
Inductive
Unsystematic
Atheoretical

Question 3

Diary Study Major Studies

Answer 3

Taine, Darwin,
Stern & Stern- Der Kindersparche
G. Stanley Hall- Pedagogical Seminary
Leopold- Daughter Hildegard

Question 4

Diary Study Theoretical Orientation

Answer 4

Nativist

Question 5

Diary Study Assessment

Answer 5

Bad- unsystematic & biased
Good- rich data, first insights to how children acquire language (example- piaget meaning of “powwow.” Sample transcripts

Question 6

Large Sample Study Method

Answer 6

Large Number of subjects
Cross- sectional
Systematic
Small samples per child
quantitative analysis

Question 7

Large Sample Major Studies

Answer 7

Madorah Smith (Iowa)
Dorothea McCarthy & Mildred Templin (Minnesota)
-480 children, 3-8 Vocabulary, Mean Length of Utterance (MLU), Speech Sound

Question 8

Large Sample Studies Theoretical Orientation

Answer 8

Behaviorist- Child vocalizes (da), child imitates words with similar sounds, child associates sounds to context.

Question 9

Large Sample Study Assessment

Answer 9

Bad- linguistically naive, grouped data, superficial, atheoretical.
Good-Norms, extensive group data; Measurement
(ex. Templin= MLU)

Question 10

Longitudinal & Experimental Studies Method

Answer 10

3 children; Regular longitudinal  visits
audio recorded
transcribed
handwritten in early studies
now entered into computer files

Question 11

Longitudinal & Experimental Studies Major Studies

Answer 11

Brown (1973)- Adam, Eve, Sarah
Bloom (1970)- Eric, Gia, Kathryn
Braine (1963)- Gregory, Andrew, Steven

Question 12

Longitudinal & Experimental Studies Theoretical Orientation

Answer 12

Child Language- data oriented, lean interpretations, constructionist
Language Acquisition- theory oriented, rich interpretations, maturationist
How do children learn?- innate knowledge, linguistic input, correction

Question 13

Longitudinal & Experimental Studies Assessment

Answer 13

New data
Focus on Theory
Split field into CL vs LA