Child Language Acquisition

 

Coursework: Data Analysis and Report                 [Contributes 50% to total module mark]

 

 

The task

 

Your task is to analyse and compare and contrast the 2 samples below of the speech of Eve at two different ages (1;6 and 2;3). See additional guidelines below for more details.

 

 

Submission                                       via Turnitin, by 11.55pm on Friday, 4^th March 2016

 

The Turnitin icon can be found on the module web (Moodle).

 

Please note:

1. All work submitted after the submission deadline without an approved valid reason (see below) will be given a mark of zero.
2. Short deferrals (extensions) of up to three calendar weeks can only be given for genuine “force majeure” and for medical reasons, not for bad planning of your time. Please note that theft, loss and failure to keep a back-up file are not valid reasons. The short deferral must be applied for on or before the submission date. You can apply for a short deferral by submitting an Examination/Coursework Deferral Application Form. Application Forms, along with the supporting evidence, should go to the relevant Student Support Office. For a longer delay in submission a student may apply for a (long) deferral.

Students MUST keep a copy and/or an electronic file of their assignment.

   

The electronic version of your assignment may be used to enable checks to be made using anti-plagiarism software and approved plagiarism checking websites.

 

Word Length                                                                                     2,000  words (+/-10%)

 

The word count for the report is 2,000 words. This excludes the transcription, reference section and any appendices. Any penalties for not complying with word limits will be in accordance with University and Faculty policy.

 

Learning Outcomes Assessed

 

Depending on the features analysed, some or all of the following module learning outcomes will be assessed:

• Demonstrate understanding of the theories of language acquisition.
• Demonstrate understanding of research methods used in studying child language acquisition.
• Demonstrate familiarity with the early stages of first language acquisition.

Return of Marked Work

 

You can expect to have marked work returned to you 3 weeks after the submission date.

 

PLAGIARISM WARNING! – Assignments should not be copied in part or in whole from any other source, except for any marked-up quotations, that clearly distinguish what has been quoted from your own work. All references used must be given, and the specific page number used should also be given for any direct quotations, which should be in inverted commas. Students found copying from the internet or other sources will get zero marks and may be excluded from the university.

 

Note:  Please do not put your name on the pages of the actual assignment since marking is anonymous.

 

 

Additional Guidelines

 

The data provided is from the website of the University of Colorado, and is of a child, Eve, at age 1;6 and age 2;3. You are required to comment on the differences between her level of language development at age 1;6 and at age 2;3, as shown in the two transcripts.

 

You should refer to both structural and functional (or pragmatic) aspects of her language, but you may choose to concentrate primarily on one or the other if you prefer. You may comment on both what she can do and what she cannot do (as far as we can tell from the transcripts provided) at each of the two ages in question, You may also comment on the mother’s talk if you consider it to be relevant to the analysis of the child’s output.

 

The analysis should be in-depth and insightful, and should make reference to the literature where appropriate. You are not expected to comment on every single mistake (or non-native occurrence) in the child’s output. The task is to conduct an overall analysis of the child’s output using some examples to illustrate your points.

 

The report should be written up using a good academic style. Basically we are looking for a well-structured essay/report, with an introduction which contextualises the study and a conclusion. The main body in between may be divided up into several sections if you think that makes it clearer for the reader. Please use the line numbers provided to identify the utterances that you refer to in your report.

 

The report should make reference to the relevant literature as and when appropriate. This means that you will need to read books and articles to link your analysis to theory. Articles from the eLibrary are likely to be more reliable than general interest articles on the Internet.

 

Marking criteria

 

The following criteria will be assessed:

 

• appropriate choice of specific issues in the data.
• a well-focused and in-depth analysis which highlights trends and patterns in the data.
• ability to link analysis to theory.
• a coherent report which uses the language of the discipline.
• presentation and accuracy of the report.

 

 

 

Background information

 

We have little such information. The recordings were presumably made in the home of the child (Eve), but we don’t know what else was happening at the time other than what we can understand from the transcripts themselves. The transcripts are both essentially “conversations” between Eve and her mother (called Sue).

 

In the first transcript (Eve aged 1 year and 6 months) there is also a researcher present (Colin), who speaks occasionally.

 

MOT = Mother             CHI = Eve                    COL = Colin

 

In the second transcript (Eve aged 2 years and 3 months) there is a different researcher present (Gloria), as well as Eve’s father (called David). Both Gloria and the father speak occasionally.

 

MOT = Mother             CHI = Eve                    GLO = Gloria               FAT = Father

 

The following conventions have also been used in the transcripts:

 

xxx  =  the researcher could not make out what the speaker was saying.

 

…  =  a pause. Some pauses may be very brief and others rather longer. If you wish to calculate the MLU, you should regard the pause symbol as marking the end of an utterance.

 

Words in square brackets ([laughs] and [sighs]) mean that the person concerned actually laughs or sighs, rather than speaking.

 

 

Transcript 1: Eve aged 1;6

 

CHI:        more cookie.

MOT:     you xxx more cookies?… how about another graham cracker?…               would that do just as well?… here… here you go.

CHI:        more cookie.

MOT:     you have another cookie right on the table.

CHI:        more juice?

MOT:     more juice?… would you like more grape juice?… where’s your cup?… oh, I took it.

CHI:        Fraser.

MOT:     I think that was Fraser… I’m not sure.

CHI:        Fraser.

MOT:     what?… are you saying Fraser?… Mr Fraser?

CHI:        Fraser.

MOT:     yes, that’s much better.

CHI:        Fraser.

MOT:     Mr Fraser?

CHI:        yeah… xxx at?

MOT:     what is that?… huh?… what is that?

CHI:        a fly.

MOT:     yes, a fly… why don’t you go in the room and kill a fly?… you go in the room and kill a fly.

CHI:        fly.

MOT:     yes, you get a fly… you get one… are you finished with your juice?

CHI:        Mommy telephone.

MOT:     well, go and get your telephone… yes, he gave you your telephone… who are you calling, Eve?

CHI:        my telephone.

MOT:     who?

CHI:        xxx.

COL:       what’s that you’re doing?

CHI:        Mommy.

MOT:     Eve, why don’t you call Grandma?… call Grandma and talk…

CHI:        no.

MOT:     oh, you don’t wanna talk to Grandma… alright…                alright… I just thought she might like to hear from you.

CHI:        man man.

MOT:     uhhuh… what’s the man doing?

CHI:        xxx… more, cookie .

MOT:     you want cookie?… there’s a cookie on the table in the room, on the table with the

CHI:        block broke.

COL:       can you do it?… can you do it like that?

CHI:        there!

MOT:     there.

COL:       that’s very good.

CHI:        I did it… there… there Fraser.

COL:       that’s a nice box of books.

MOT:     what’s that?

CHI:        xxx… xxx… baby.

MOT:     oh, it’s a baby .

CHI:        Mommy read.

MOT:     no… Mommy can’t read… I’m busy… you read the book.

CHI:        a stool.

MOT:     yes. that’s the stool… you want to sit on the stool and read the book?

CHI:        Fraser.

MOT:     Mr Fraser, yes, Mr Fraser.

CHI:        Fraser… more cookie… more cookie.

MOT:     your cookie’s there on the table… did you eat it?… yes, you ate it… I’ll give you another… just a little one… just a little one.

CHI:        little little little little.

MOT:     yes… little one, yes.

CHI:        milk?

MOT:     what?… no, no more, Eve… we’ll have lunch in a little while… you xxx eat any more crackers.

CHI:        milk milk milk.

MOT:     milk?… no, you don’t want milk, honey, you’ve just had some juice… where’s the rest of your juice?… xxx how about a drink of water?

CHI:        that?

MOT:     what is that?… that’s Mr Fraser… there drink the water.

CHI:        Fraser water ?