Language Sampling With Adolescents: Building a Normative Database With Fables

The goal of the study was to create a language sampling task appropriate for adolescents and to contribute normative data from speakers with typical language development.

Thirty adolescents (mean age = 14 years, 1 month) participated in an interview that involved the retelling and interpretation of 4 Greek fables. Each speaker's performance on the task was audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and entered into the Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts computer program (Miller & Iglesias, 2015). Samples were analyzed statistically for language productivity and syntactic complexity. In addition, each participant's perspective on the moral messages of the fables was examined informally.

The Fables task was effective in prompting adolescents to use complex language and in encouraging them to express their opinions about the moral messages. Although boys and girls did not differ in their performance on the task, some fables were more effective than others at eliciting spoken language and complex syntax. Moreover, the adolescents tended to agree with the moral messages of the fables and appeared to find them relevant to their lives.

The Fables task has potential for clinical use with adolescents. Research is necessary to expand the normative database to include larger and more diverse groups of adolescents.