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Published on: November 30, 2018
Relative clause comprehension revisited: commentary on Eisenberg (2002)
1Max Planck Child Study Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. evan.j.kidd@man.ac.uk
Journal of Child Language
|September 30, 2003
Summary
Children acquire restrictive relative clauses (RCs) syntax before understanding their discourse use, challenging prior theories. This study highlights the impact of real-time processing on language acquisition.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psycholinguistics
- Child language acquisition
- Syntax and semantics
Background:
- Investigates children's comprehension of restrictive relative clauses (RCs).
- Examines the relationship between syntactic development and discourse knowledge in early language acquisition.
- Contrasts findings with Hamburger & Crain's (1982) theory on discourse-based acquisition.
Discussion:
- Critically evaluates Eisenberg's (2002) methodology and conclusions regarding RC acquisition.
- Argues that children's understanding of RCs is constrained by processing limitations during development.
- Proposes that syntactic development models must account for real-time processing demands.
Key Insights:
- Children may not possess discourse knowledge of RCs before mastering their syntax.
- Language acquisition is influenced by cognitive processing constraints, not solely linguistic rules.
- Methodological rigor is crucial for accurate conclusions in developmental studies.
Outlook:
- Future research should explore processing load in child language acquisition.
- Investigate the interplay between syntax, semantics, and processing in language development.
- Develop more nuanced models of syntactic development considering real-time constraints.
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