Methods of child language research

Techniques

• Obersational studies

• Experimental studies

Observational studies

• Diary studies [Stern and Stern 1907]• Analysis of transcripts [CHILDES]• Analysis of audio tapes [CHILDES]• Analysis of videos

Observational studies

• Longitudinal studies• Cross-sectional studies

Experimental studies

Why do we need experiments?

*CHI: I am finished .

*CHI: I missed .

*CHI: he parked in the garage .

*CHI: go put him in bed .

*CHI: you took me three scrambled eggs .

*CHI: They falled down .

*CHI: She goed there .

Rule vs. memory (rote-learning)?

Experimental studies

• Production studies• Comprehension studies

Production studies

• Elicited production

• Elicited imitation

• Elicited transformation

Berko-Gleason 1956

Elicited

production

Berko-Gleason 1956

Elicited

production

Every day I gorp.

Just like every day, yesterday I was … (rising

intonation)

Elicited imitation

ADULT: I’ve got two foots.

CHILD: I’ve got two … foots/feet.

ADULT: This is my blue big tractor.CHILD: This is my … blue big / big blue … tractor.

Elicited imitation

(1) The boy the girl kicked went home.

(2) The girl kicked the boy very badly and then he went straight home.

Elicited imitation

(1) There is the boy who played in the garden yesterday.

(2) This is the girl who the boy teased at school this morning.

(3) There is the girl who Peter borrowed a football from.

(4) This is the dog that the cat ran away from this morning.

(5) There is the woman whose horse Peter heard on the farm.

Elicited transformation

ADULT: He’s going home…CILLD: Isn’t he?

ADULT: They’ll take a long time…CILLD: Won’t they?

ADULT: She can’t stay with us …CILLD: Can she?

Elicited transformation

ADULT: The man cleaned the bath.CILLD: The bath was cleaned by the man

ADULT: The boy kissed the girl.CILLD: The boy was kissed by the girl.

Comprehension experiments

• On-line

• Off-line

Comprehension studies

• Act out studies (off-line)

• Picture pointing (off-line)

• Reaction time studies (on-line)

Act out

(1) The dog pushes the cow.

(2) The cow is pushed by the dog.

(3) The deer pushed the donkey after it had

kissed the lion.

(4) The lion pushed the deer before it had

donkey the dog.

Picture pointing

The duck pushed the chicken after it had kissed the dog.

Who puched the chicken after it had kissed the dog?

Infant studies

• High-amplitude sucking procedure

• Head-turn procedure

• Preferential looking procedure

Questionnaire studies

Brain image studies