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Syntactic Complexity Across Language Sampling Contexts in School-Age Children, Ages 8-11 Years
Michelle H Lenhart1, Geralyn R Timler2, Stacey L Pavelko3
1Radford University, VA.
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools
|August 19, 2022
Summary
Narrative and expository language samples are best for assessing complex syntax in children aged 8-11. Conversation samples do not effectively elicit advanced sentence structures in this age group.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Developmental Psychology
- Speech-Language Pathology
Background:
- Syntax is the structural basis of language, crucial for effective communication.
- Children with language impairments often show delays in complex syntax production.
- Assessing syntactic abilities in school-age children requires appropriate language sampling contexts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare syntactic measures across conversational, narrative, and expository language sampling contexts.
- To identify the optimal context for eliciting complex syntax in children aged 8-11.
- To investigate similarities and differences in syntactic abilities across these contexts.
Main Methods:
- Elicited language samples from 85 typically developing children aged 8-11 years.
- Analyzed samples for mean length of utterance (MLU) and clausal density (subordination index).
- Utilized conversational, narrative, and expository sampling methods.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in syntactic measures were found across the three contexts.
- Narrative and expository samples yielded longer utterances and greater clausal density compared to conversational samples.
- No significant age-related differences in syntactic measures were detected within the 8-11 age range.
Conclusions:
- Narrative and expository language sampling contexts are most effective for eliciting complex syntax in children aged 8-11.
- Conversational sampling is insufficient for revealing children's full syntactic capabilities.
- These findings inform best practices for assessing complex syntax in school-age children.
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