Aspects of late language acquisition: school children's use and comprehension of prepositions

Abstract

The study of late language development in normal children promises to reveal much about the residual obstacles to language mastery, and is therefore a central issue for developmental psycholinguists. Findings of a series of studies of schoolchildren's use and comprehension of common prepositions are reported. Particular attention is paid to the acquisition of between, but a variety of developments in the comprehension of in front of, behind, above, below, and near are also discussed. It is shown that the acquisition of prepositions is a protracted affair, continuing at least through the infant school years. Some theoretical and practical implications of the study of late language development are noted.