Language Sample Analysis in Spanish-Speaking Children: Methodological Considerations
Vera F Gutie Rrez-Clellen1, M Adelaida Restrepo2, Lisa Bedore3
1San Diego State University, CA.
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools
|January 1, 2000
Summary
This study addresses language assessment for Spanish-English bilingual children using spontaneous language samples. It examines sociolinguistic factors and methodological issues for accurate language evaluation in research and clinical settings.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Bilingual children present unique challenges in language assessment.
- Sociolinguistic factors like language exposure and learning environments influence language performance.
- Codeswitching and dialectal variations impact assessment accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss challenges in selecting/developing language assessment procedures for Spanish-English bilingual children.
- To demonstrate the application of existing procedures for research and clinical goals.
- To propose measures of Spanish grammar with diagnostic potential.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of spontaneous language samples.
- Examination of sociolinguistic influences (language shift, exposure, environment).
- Evaluation of methodological issues with specific measures: Developmental Assessment of Spanish Grammar (DASG), mean length of response in words (MLR-w), mean length of terminable unit (MLTU), and mean length of utterance in morphemes (MLU-m).
Main Results:
- Identified sociolinguistic factors affecting language performance in bilingual children.
- Highlighted methodological considerations for specific language assessment tools.
- Proposed new measures for assessing Spanish grammar.
Conclusions:
- Accurate language assessment for bilingual children requires consideration of sociolinguistic factors and appropriate methodologies.
- Clinical suggestions are provided for assessing Spanish-speaking children with varying English proficiency.
- Research implications for understanding bilingual language development are discussed.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Language Development
1.0K
Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
1.0K
01:24Components of Language
883
Language, whether spoken, signed, or written, consists of specific components: lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, comprising its words. Grammar is the set of rules used to convey meaning through the lexicon. For example, English grammar adds “-ed” to most verbs to indicate past tense. Words are formed by combining phonemes, which are the basic sound units of a language. Different languages have different sets of phonemes (e.g., “ah” vs.
883
01:27Language and Cognition
928
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
928