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The psycholinguistics of developing text construction.
1Department of Linguistics, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel. rberman@post.tau.ac.il
Journal of Child Language
|October 8, 2008
Summary
This study examines language development through extended discourse analysis in school-aged children and adults. Findings reveal distinct developmental shifts in text organization, syntax, and lexicon from childhood to adulthood.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Language acquisition is a complex, lengthy process.
- Examining extended discourse provides insights into later language development.
- Understanding discourse facets requires quantifiable criteria.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish quantifiable criteria for analyzing discourse facets.
- To investigate language development across different genres (narrative, expository) and modalities (speech, writing).
- To map developmental trajectories from middle childhood through adulthood.
Main Methods:
- Cross-linguistic elicitation of narrative and expository texts.
- Analysis of speech and written samples from four age groups (9-10, 12-13, 16-17, adults).
- Focus on global principles, referential content, syntax, local expression, and discourse stance.
Main Results:
- Clear developmental patterns observed from childhood to adulthood, with adolescent shifts.
- Global text organization mastered earlier in narratives than expository texts.
- Expository texts foster advanced lexicon and syntax; spoken texts show broader clause-linkage and content.
Conclusions:
- Language development in extended discourse shows significant, age-related changes.
- Genre and modality influence the acquisition of specific linguistic features.
- Findings contribute to understanding discourse knowledge and text-embedded language use growth.
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