VARIATION IN CHILD VARIATION IN CHILD FIRST LANGUAGE FIRST LANGUAGE

ACQUISITIONACQUISITION

The issue of variation in FLA and The issue of variation in FLA and SLA/SLLSLA/SLL

Variables influenceVariables influence

IN SLL/SLAIN SLL/SLArate rate final attainmentfinal attainment

IN FLAIN FLArate rate

Variables in FLAVariables in FLA

Effect of situationEffect of situation Inherited attributesInherited attributes

GenderGender IntelligenceIntelligence Personality and learning stylePersonality and learning style

Social backgroundSocial background Experience of linguistic dataExperience of linguistic data

Amount and type of conversationAmount and type of conversation Qualitative differences in adult-child interactionQualitative differences in adult-child interaction

Effect of situationEffect of situation

Amount and type of mothereseAmount and type of mothereseBut not all communities use motherese!But not all communities use motherese!

Activities, scenes of language use – Activities, scenes of language use – functionalism!!functionalism!!

Interaction with adults vs.Interaction with adults vs. childrenchildrenRoles of caretakers (carer, playmate, Roles of caretakers (carer, playmate,

controller, etc.)controller, etc.)

Gósy (1999): detrimental noiseGósy (1999): detrimental noise

Inherited attributes:Inherited attributes:GenderGender

Girls: advantage in rateGirls: advantage in rate (Gósy: at early (Gósy: at early childhood and at 6-7 years)childhood and at 6-7 years)

Reason: Reason: different expectations different expectations of and communication of and communication with them with them

Strengthens by adulthood:Strengthens by adulthood: cooperationcooperationinitiationinitiation

IntelligenceIntelligence

Studies relating to Studies relating to

- size of vocabulary- size of vocabulary

- rate of acquisition of syntactic - rate of acquisition of syntactic structuresstructures

- acquiring spatial/temporal sequences- acquiring spatial/temporal sequencesNo significant resultNo significant result

- difficult to define intelligence- difficult to define intelligence

- many types: IQ vs. EQ!- many types: IQ vs. EQ!

Personality and learning stylePersonality and learning style

Extroversion/introversion:Extroversion/introversion:ininiitiation tiation speed and easespeed and ease

Sociability: Sociability: „„join and communicate”join and communicate”

„„Referential” and Referential” and „„noun lover” kids noun lover” kids learn vocab. faster learn vocab. faster than „expressive” onesthan „expressive” ones

Two-element combinations of SVO Two-element combinations of SVO

Social backgroundSocial background

Points of disagreement:Points of disagreement:Nature and size of variationNature and size of variationResources or use of resources?Resources or use of resources?Parameters to distinguish social Parameters to distinguish social

groupinggroupingMechanism responsible for the Mechanism responsible for the

relationship betw. group membership relationship betw. group membership and linguistic variationand linguistic variation

Early studiesEarly studies

Berstein: clear advantage of middle-Berstein: clear advantage of middle-class children in class children in

rate of learning,rate of learning,linguistic proficiency,linguistic proficiency,style (exploratory, explicit language use).style (exploratory, explicit language use).

Labov: Labov:

legitimising dialectslegitimising dialects

Bristol study:Bristol study:Full range of family backgroundsFull range of family backgroundsNaturally occurring speech samplesNaturally occurring speech samplesNo researcher present when recordingNo researcher present when recordingLegitimising local dialectsLegitimising local dialects

No significant difference inNo significant difference in

- the amount of speech- the amount of speech

- types of contexts- types of contexts

- range of pragmatic functions- range of pragmatic functions

- rate: controversial- rate: controversial

Tough (1977) on parental Tough (1977) on parental status status

Aspects:Aspects:Self-maintainingSelf-maintainingDirectivesDirectivesInterpretativesInterpretativesProjectivesProjectives

High FB children did betterHigh FB children did better

Experience of linguistic Experience of linguistic interaction:interaction:

Amount and type of Amount and type of conversation conversation Significant relation betw. amount of Significant relation betw. amount of

speech and rate of progressspeech and rate of progressRate of development and joint Rate of development and joint

enterpriseenterpriseAs opposed to mothering and independentAs opposed to mothering and independent

Family statusFamily statusFirst-borns and kids with no siblings close First-borns and kids with no siblings close

in age progress fasterin age progress fasterSignificance of parental attentionSignificance of parental attention

Qualitative differences in adult Qualitative differences in adult and child interactionand child interaction

Motherese – modification inMotherese – modification inLengthLengthComplexityComplexityIntonationIntonationRange of sentence Range of sentence meaning relationsmeaning relationsVocabularyVocabularyInterpersonal functionsInterpersonal functionsDiscourse functionsDiscourse functions

Rate of development correlates withRate of development correlates with

More finely-tuned talk (sensitive and More finely-tuned talk (sensitive and responsive to kids’ reaction)responsive to kids’ reaction)

Matching – referential - acceptMatching – referential - acceptinging parental behaviourparental behaviour

ConConttingent speech ingent speech Concern to facilitate conversation Concern to facilitate conversation

Vs.Vs. concern to control behaviourconcern to control behaviour

(= expressive, unidirectional!)(= expressive, unidirectional!)

ConclusionConclusion

Variables mainly influence rateVariables mainly influence rate Controversial influence:Controversial influence:

GenderGender PersonalityPersonality Social classSocial class

Strongest influence:Strongest influence: Quality and amount of caretaker talkQuality and amount of caretaker talk

Interactive community is essential for Interactive community is essential for FLAFLA

Rehabilitation potential limited in timeRehabilitation potential limited in time