Child Language Pre A2 Transcript Analysis

Child Language Pre A2 Transcript Analysis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2EertzeHjM&feature=related

1.      What is interesting about the language used? (yellow highlights)

In this transcript there are examples of classic child development language, a mix of younger and older age techniques. For example, the use of the basic biological noise stage where the vowel ‘a’ is put in front of words. In the transcript Caroline (baby) uses this technique: “a piches” “a peaches” “a puppies”. These examples show early stages of development in language, typically for 0-8 weeks old, however Caroline has carried this through into the age of 2 years old. Towards the end she also uses babbling to produce variegated sounds. The words have no meaning but she uses them to communicate with her mother. These include “Poches” “Asdadis” and “faries”. They are not in relevance to the mother’s speech so this may suggest Caroline is finding it difficult to respond to her mother.

There are also learning techniques used by the mother integrated into the speech often. The mother uses repetition frequently to help the child remember or learn the word correctly, for example “Caroline: A picta, Mum: A picture”. Here the mother corrects the child’s mispronunciation of the word ‘picture’ by repeating the correct version, in hope that the child will remember this. In one section there is also a grouping of conversation where previously used words are repeated between the child and mother. The words ‘mummy’ ‘puppies’ ‘Caroline’ and ‘daddy’ are simple words that are repeated, maybe for the same reason as previous.

The main types of sentences used in the transcript by the mother are declarative and interrogative. Language is kept as simple as possible for the understanding of the child, multiple uses of questions in one piece of speech shows this. “Can you are you hiding your cheese [laughs] (.) can you say your name” shows the mother using more than one question at once to get answers from her child. The use of questions stimulates responses best from a child whereas the use of declarative sentences may not.

2.      What other data could you collect that would compare with it?

An example of data that could be used to compare this transcript is the use of a boy 2 year old’s conversation with his mother. This would compare the language of different genders, keeping the age and other participant the same. It would show any similarities or differences with gender speech in child development.

Another piece of data could be the difference in age ranges, using a 1 year old or 3 year old female child with her mother and seeing the variations in language and techniques in age. Theoretically there would be differences as age is a sign of progression however which techniques are lost or gained is one thing to compare.

The other respondent in the conversation i.e. mother, could be also changed. A 2 year old girl talking to her father could show different ways of communicating, different topics or the way they speak to each other. A 2 year old boy talking to his father would test the opposites of this transcript.

3.      What could you title an investigation into data like this?

-         How do different gendered babies affect the use of language with their mother?

-         How does age in children affect the use of language in conversation?

-         How does the gender of the parent in the conversation affect the use of language with a 2 year old child?

-         Are there differences in child language development with age, gender or different respondent?

-         How does the position in the child’s life of the respondent change the ways of communication?

4.      What real data could you collect?

-         You could record the conversation between a live mother and her child

-         Observe a classroom conversation between a teacher and one pupil

-         Record a live conversation between different aged girls/boys and their parent and compare

-         Record a live conversation between different gendered children and their parent

-         Get a transcript already scribed from the internet