Oral Language Development Research Articles

Relative clause comprehension in Cantonese-speaking children with and without developmental language disorder.

Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), present in 2 out of every 30 children, affects primarily oral language abilities and development in the absence of associated biomedical conditions. We report the first experimental study that examines relative clause (RC) comprehension accuracy and processing (via looking preference) in Cantonese-speaking children with and without DLD, testing the predictions from competing domain-specific versus domain-general theoretical accounts. We compared children with DLD (N = 22) with their age-matched typically-developing (TD) children (AM-TD, N = 23) aged 6;6-9;7 and language-matched (and younger) TD children (YTD, N = 21) aged 4;7-7;6, using a referent selection task. Within-subject factors were: RC type (subject-RCs (SRCs) versus object-RCs (ORCs); relativizer (classifier (CL) versus relative marker ge3 RCs). Accuracy measures and looking preference to the target were analyzed using generalized linear mixed effects models. Results indicated Cantonese children with DLD scored significantly lower than their AM-TD peers in accuracy and processed RCs significantly slower than AM-TDs, but did not differ from the YTDs on either measure. Overall, while the results revealed evidence of a SRC advantage in the accuracy data, there was no indication of additional difficulty associated with ORCs in the eye-tracking data. All children showed a processing advantage for the frequent CL relativizer over the less frequent ge3 relativizer. These findings pose challenges to domain-specific representational deficit accounts of DLD, which primarily explain the disorder as a syntactic deficit, and are better explained by domain-general accounts that explain acquisition and processing as emergent properties of multiple converging linguistic and non-linguistic processes.

A longitudinal study on language acquisition in monozygotic twins concordant for autism and hyperlexia

BackgroundHyperlexia, a strong orientation towards written materials, along with a discrepancy between the precocious acquisition of decoding skills and weaker comprehension abilities, characterizes up to 20% of autistic children. Sometimes perceived as an obstacle to oral language acquisition, hyperlexia may alternatively be the first step in a non-social pathway of language acquisition in autism. MethodWe describe two monozygotic twin brothers, both autistic and hyperlexic, from the ages of 4 to 8 years old. Following an in-depth diagnostic assessment, we investigated cross-sectionally and longitudinally their verbal and non-verbal cognitive abilities, language, reading and writing skills, interests, and strengths. ResultsThe twins’ features, including their high non-verbal level of intelligence, their special interests, and their skills in various domains, were highly similar. Their language consisted exclusively of letters and numbers until their fourth year. After that, their vocabulary broadened until they developed full sentences, and their perception-related interests expanded and merged over time to serve the development of other skills. ConclusionOur results show that hyperlexic skills can be harnessed to favor oral language development. Given the strong concordance between the twins’ cognitive and behavioral phenotypes, we discuss the environmental and genetic influence that could explain their abilities.

The relation of bilingual cognitive skills to the second language writing performance of primary grade students

The purposes of the current study were to examine the effects of cognitive and reading skills (i.e., working memory [WM], oral language development [OLD], and reading skills) on second language (L2) writing performance as well as the changes in these relationships across different grades among Spanish-speaking children learning English. A battery of measures assessing English and Spanish WM, OLD, reading skills, and English writing were administered to 494 English learners in Grades 1 to 3. Path analysis was conducted for each grade separately in both English and Spanish models. The findings indicated that the relationships between English writing performance and English cognitive and reading skills became stronger as the grades increased. However, the relationships between English writing and the Spanish cognitive and reading determinants were mixed, indicating a statistically significant relationship with Spanish WM and reading skills for Grade 2 and 3 students but not with OLD across all grades. Implications for L2 writing development are discussed.

Comparative Reflections on the Acquisition of Language in Hearing and Deaf Children: A Case of Natural Learning of Mexican Sign Language

Sign languages are visual and iconic languages used by Deaf communities worldwide. Sign language develops from the linguistic stimulus in the visuo-gestural modality, unlike hearing children who receive the stimulus in the auditory-vocal modality. This paper presents one case study in Mexico where deaf children naturally acquire Mexican Sign Language (LSM). Deaf children can access and develop sign language if the immediate context offers ways parallel to oral language development. Universal Grammar and biolinguistics support the natural process of the acquisition of languages.

Kia Tīmata Pai (Best Start): a study protocol for a cluster randomised trial with early childhood teachers to support children’s oral language and self-regulation development

IntroductionOral language skills are associated with children’s later self-regulation and academic skills; in turn, self-regulation in early childhood predicts successful functioning later in life. The primary objective of this study...

Role of forkhead box protein 2 (FOXP2) in oral-motor abilities of preterm infants: A brief literature review.

Preterm infants, born before the 37-week gestation period, have limited storage for nutrients at birth and are vulnerable to poor feeding, severe nutritional deficits and growth retardation. The immature gastrointestinal system leads preterm infants to experience a delay in initiating enteral nutrition. Inappropriate feeding can cause acute and long-term morbidity, prolonged hospitalization and increased treatment cost. Generally, preterm infants that are born after 32 weeks of gestation without severe comorbidities do not have dysphagia and should start oral feeding soon after birth. Preterm infants should have well-developed sucking-swallowing-breathing coordination by 32-34 weeks of gestational age. However, some infants take days or weeks to master the skill. The oral feeding development involves forkhead box protein 2 (FOXP2)-expressing neurons that are found in the deep layers of the cortex, basal ganglia, parts of the thalamus and Purkinje cells of the cerebellum. In mammals, these areas belong to the brain network circuits working for motor coordination in learning and acquiring sensorimotor skills. This review aimed to describe the role of FOXP2 in oral-motor skills in preterm infants, including oral feeding, sucking-swallowing-breathing coordination and language development. The oral-motor skills development could be an early predictor for language delay in premature infants, representing a vulnerable group susceptible to such delays.

Name it and claim it: supporting early childhood teachers to recognise themselves as researchers

ABSTRACT There are increasing demands for teachers to continue to improve the quality of education. This focus is evident in the Early Childhood Education and Care sector in Australia where the professionalisation agenda is tied to teacher professional learning. While the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL) has strengthened expectations on teachers to engage with research and become inquirers into their own practice, current early childhood documents that guide practice use non-descript terms without ascribing them to research or researching. We argue that greater opportunities are needed for early childhood teachers to be recognised as consumers and producers of research and validated as researchers of their own practice. Professional learning programs, such as the Supporting Oral Language Development (SOLD) Program outlined in this paper, provide the potential to acknowledge and build the research skills of early childhood teachers, thereby supporting their self-efficacy and confidence as researchers.

Predicting literacy development and risk in Spanish-English bilingual first graders

Purpose: There are well-established links between oral language and reading development in monolingual English-speaking children that are associated with literacy outcomes. Oral language, defined relative to lexical quality, provides key support for developing early reading skills. For bilingual children, the connection between oral language and reading development and risk for identification of having language or reading difficulties is assumed but has been less systematically studied. Our goal was to document the relationship between knowledge of semantics and morphosyntax and children's performance on letter and word identification in first grade in each of their languages so as to evaluate the risk for poor reading outcomes in the Spanish and English of bilingual first graders. Method: We examined data from 111 Spanish-English bilingual first graders on measures of Spanish and English semantics and morphosyntax in relation to letter-word identification, which indexes early reading development. We evaluated the within- and across-language relationships between skills and also whether the same children who performed in the at-risk range on the oral language tasks showed risk for future reading difficulties based on their letter-word performance. Results: Oral language skills and early reading skills were strongly related within languages, and cross-language relationships were also evident, though not for all domains. There were significant associations between risk for developmental language disorder (DLD) based on semantics performance and reading risk. Conclusions: We observe cross-linguistic relationships between letter-word identification and morphosyntactic and semantic skills in young Spanish-English bilinguals with and without risk for language and reading development. These findings indicate that connections between oral language and reading hold across differing levels of language and reading risk.

Investigating key principles for the design of virtual interactions for children that can support the development of oral language through play

It is well established in Australian research and policy literature that children attending schools in regional, rural, and remote locations will benefit from access not only to experiences and interactions offered in their own communities but also to the sorts of experiences available to those in more populated areas of Australia as well. Virtual interactions afforded by technology are an obvious solution to achieving this access by enabling Australian classrooms to be increasingly connected. However, with the plethora on offer and little oversight of their quality, literacy educators are left to sift and sort through volumes of virtual interactions and to make decisions regarding their capacity to promote the development of oral language through play. Using a design-based research approach, this study aimed to identify in research literature key principles for the design of virtual interactions for children that can support the development of oral language through play and test them against those currently on offer. The study confirmed the value of virtual interactions as rich sources for learning that offered shared experiences built on language interactions between creators and users and giving access to new information where learning is scaffolded and understandings can be transferred from virtual to real contexts. The study also identified personal advantages that access to new physical geographies within virtual interactions can offer to those in regional, rural, and remote communities.

Retelling stories: The validity of an online oral narrative task

This study examined the validity of data collected from a novel online story retell task. The task was specifically designed for use by junior school teachers with the support of speech–language therapists or literacy specialists. The assessment task was developed to monitor children's oral language progress in their first year at school as part of the Better Start Literacy Approach for early literacy teaching. Teachers administered the task to 303 5-year-olds in New Zealand at school entry and after 20 weeks and 12 months of schooling. The children listened to a story with pictures via iPad presentation and were then prompted to retell the story. The children's spontaneous language used in their story retell was captured and uploaded digitally via iPad audio recording and analyzed using semi-automated speech recognition and computer software. Their responses to factual and inferential story comprehension questions were also analyzed. The data suggested that the task has good criterion validity. Significant correlations between story retell measures and a standardized measure of children's oral language were found. The Better Start Literacy Approach story retell task, which took approximately 6 min for teachers to administer, accurately identified children with low oral language ability 81% of the time. Growth curve analysis revealed that the task was useful for monitoring oral language development, including for English as second language learners. Boys showed a slower story comprehension growth trajectory than girls. The Better Start Literacy Approach story retell task shows promise in providing valid data to support teacher judgement of children's oral language development.

Blended teaching of English speaking in a Vietnamese context: Design and procedure

This article aims to disseminate a technology‐enhanced language pedagogy for teaching oral English in a World Englishes context, which is underpinned by the theories of scaffolding, scaffolded instruction, and task‐based learning, and utilises a Moodle learning management system (LMS) as its e‐learning platform. In this pedagogy, not only do technologies assist language teaching and learning in terms of lesson design, materials development, and lesson delivery, but they actually involve and play a crucial role in students’ oral language development with the exploitation of text‐to‐ speech (TTS) and automatic speech recognition (ASR). The contemporary status of teaching and learning oral English is discussed to clarify the congruence of the pedagogy with an emerging consensus on teaching English speaking. A brief summary of technology‐enhanced language learning (TELL) and a critical examination of current practices of teaching oral English with technology are also presented for consideration of the position of the proposed framework in the field. The adaptability of the framework in case of the inaccessibility of an LMS is also discussed.

Friends as a language learning resource in multilingual primary school classrooms

Interactions with classroom friends may be an important contributor to first and second language development, but to date this hypothesis has not been tested. Using a longitudinal design, the current study investigated the relationship between classroom friendships and oral language development in children. In 8 classrooms, we assessed the relationship between oral language skills and classroom social networks. Across the classrooms, 165 primary school children in Austria (83 boys; 119 L2 learners; age: 6–10) were assessed on oral language proficiency at the beginning of the school year (T1) and 6–7 months later (T2). Results indicated that the more reciprocal best friendships at T1, the greater language improvement at T2. Language improvement was strongest among friends with moderate differences in language proficiency, regardless of whether students were first or second language learners. These results underline the importance of positive social relations at school for language learning broadly.

Implante coclear e transtorno do espectro autista: relato de caso

ABSTRACT Autism Spectrum Disorder is not an adverse condition for cochlear implantation, but the goals and expectations about the effects on hearing and language outcomes are different from the group of children without other impairments. The objective of this study was to analyze the development of auditory and oral language skills of a child with autism who underwent early cochlear implantation surgery and was included in an auditory (re)habilitation program using the aural-oral method. There was no benefit from the device for the development of oral language, and the child was referred to another communicative method. After 2 years and 9 months using the cochlear implants, there was little benefit from the use of the device for the development of auditory skills, with the child evolving to recognize only his own name. The patient quit using the device after three years of its activation.

Study of teaching practices for the development of pre-reading skills at the Preschool level in Costa Rica-California, USA

This writing is based on a joint investigation between staff members from Universidad Nacional of Costa Rica and faculty researchers from universities of California, USA: Redlands, California State University San Marcos and National University that is carried out during 2020 and 2021, which aims to know the teaching practices at the preschool level related to the development of pre-reading skills in both contexts. As a result of the interviews applied to thirty teachers, fifteen from each country, teaching practices are identified: similarities and particularities, in addition, the evaluative strategies used to assess pre-reading skills in preschool children are determined, as well as the challenges that face the teachers of each country. Finally, the interest of promoting opportunities for collaboration and learning between colleagues of both nationalities is established. In conclusion, teaching practices with the intention of developing pre-reading skills coincide in safeguarding and considering the characteristics of the age group. In addition, their practices include the use of printed material, games, and art, among others, as vehicles to integrate children into the literate world in the classroom. Likewise, the need and challenge of considering the context is considered when designing meaningful strategies and promoting real situations of childhood in the classroom such as conversations and dramatizations for the development of oral language and vocabulary.

Promoting early language development in the Arab world and Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, 10 and 17

Purpose This commentary describes a multi-national project which addresses gaps in the design and delivery of health and education services in Arabic-speaking countries in relation to early language development, with a focus on Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories. This includes: (1) co-production with early years professionals and NGOs of approaches to support early language development; (2) development and standardisation of tools to identify monolingual and multilingual Arabic-speaking children at risk of poor language development; and (3) examination of language development in refugee communities. Result The importance of inter-professional partnership and the inclusion of families in planning support for oral language development is highlighted. Arabic versions of the Communicative Development Inventory (CDI) Toddler were developed, and data collected from 1074 Egyptian, Jordanian and Palestinian monolingual infants aged 8–30 months. Data from 201 age-matched Palestinian infants in Lebanese refugee camps highlight inequalities resulting from limited maternal educational opportunities. Data from 230 multilingual Lebanese 2-year-olds enable the interpretation of CDI scores as a function of language exposure. Conclusion This work contributes to the promotion of robust language development for all Arabic-speaking children. This commentary focusses on sustainable development goal (SDG) 3, SDG 4, SDG 10 and SDG 17.

ORAL LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT SKILLS

In early childhood, oral language should be enhanced due to its importance in social relations and learning, and it is notorious that children often grow up with difficulties in their orality due to poor stimulation at home or in schools. This is an essential factor in favoring linguistic competence. The objective of the present study was to determine the skills that influence oral language development in children aged 4 to 5 years for communication through the application and analysis of surveys. The methodological approach is qualitative and quantitative, using documentary and descriptive research through text analysis. Likewise, in the province of Santa Elena, a survey directed to 15 early education teachers and an interview with an institution’s director in charge of the mentioned level were used. From the data collected, results point to an integration of skills in acquiring linguistic signs and manifesting thoughts and emotions; therefore, their application is essential. On the other hand, it was determined that the teachers, when defining the concept of skills, relate it to related terms such as abilities and competencies. Therefore, it is concluded that all skills influence oral language development, so they must be expressed in the lesson plans.

Pedagogic Strategies for Stimulating Long’s (1980) Interaction Hypothesis in the Second Language Classroom

From classical to contemporary periods, the teaching and learning of a second language have conscientiously been guided by pedagogical theories, ideologies, methods, rules, and regulations. The Interaction Hypothesis (IH) is one theory that advocates face-to-face contact between the learner and the facilitator. Although some media for physical contact and communication were mentioned in the Interaction Hypothesis, with time and the advent of technology, many better strategies have emerged. Therefore, this paper assesses some traditional and modern pedagogical strategies for oral language development that were not captured in the Interaction Hypothesis. The paper aims to expose second language teachers and learners to some new techniques and guidelines for oral language development and to reinforce the classical techniques cited in earlier research works. Our paper is segmented into four parts – introduction, empirical evidence of IH, pedagogical strategies for stimulating IH in second language classrooms, and conclusion.

A survey of communication supports in Grade R classrooms in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Early classroom communication supports are critical in influencing oral language development and emergent literacy skills. It is both support from peers and adults, as well as the environment that impacts the quality and efficacy of language learning. Schools in particular play a key role in communication development, which will be further explored in this article. To describe how communication was being supported in the classroom by teachers in the areas of language-learning environment (LLE), language-learning interactions (LLIs) and language-learning opportunities (LLOs) to focus on classroom communication supports to strengthen literacy outcomes for Grade R learners. A cross-sectional descriptive survey of classrooms was conducted using a structured observation method in 136 classrooms. The Communication Supporting Classroom Observation Tool was used to make 223 observations across classrooms of LLE (19 items), LLI (20 items) and LLO (5 items). A descriptive analysis of frequency of occurrence of items was conducted for each domain. Language-learning environment had more frequently occurring observations, with 12 out of 19 items being observed with a frequency of occurrence greater than 65%, indicating that the environment had adequate basic resources (e.g. good light). Language-learning interactions scores indicated that 3 out of 20 items were observed frequently, while 17 out of 20 items were observed less frequently (56.5%), including interactive strategies (e.g. turn-taking). Language Learning Opportunities scores indicated that teacher-led behaviours (e.g. including children in small group activities) were infrequently observed on all items. While the physical environment was generally supportive, the behaviours in the interactive domains of LLI and LLO were observed less frequently. There is potential for speech-language therapists to work collaboratively with teachers to develop communication supporting classrooms as a critical primary-level intervention for language-literacy learning.

Development of students’ spoken language in an online French course: Presentation of continuing doctoral research

Abstract The present paper describes continuing doctoral research which examines the development of oral language during an online French course in terms of complexity, accuracy and fluency (CAF), and reflects on the possible influence of the online intervention on this development. The research is designed as a multiple-case study with 11 university students as participants of the research, each student forming a single case of the study. The pre-test post-test design was chosen in order to analyse students’ spoken performance before and after the intervention, and thus to assess its development. The paper outlines the results of accuracy analysis, which indicate that language performance cannot be judged solely by one aspect of CAF: many errors identified in this research seem to be a sign of the use of more complex language; and precise and accurate language without errors does not seem to be complex or fluent. The number of phonetic errors and some replies in the interviews suggest that the online course did not place enough importance on the teaching of pronunciation. These suppositions will be tested in the next stages of the research. The paper is part of the AILA Europe special issue.

Habilidades de comprensión y producción narrativa en niños montevideanos de 5 años. Una comparación por nivel socioeconómico

Narrative abilities are an important part of communication, academic success, and healthy relationships. These abilities involve complex language and cognitive skills, such as precise vocabulary, control of the coherence markers, relations of cause-effect, and planning. They are also relevant during the elementary school years and interact with the socio-emotional skills necessary to understand different points of view. Oral narrative production develops dramatically from 3 to 5 years of age and is a key factor in a child’s ability to communicate about the world. During this period narratives are a product of increasing linguistic sophistication over the preschool period and there is a complex relationship between early narratives and language proficiency. So far, most research about this topic has been pursued in populations other than Latin American preschoolers. At the same time, a considerably lesser number of studies about narrative abilities development have been carried out comparing typically developing children from different socioeconomic backgrounds. To our knowledge, there are no studies in Uruguay that assess the narrative abilities development in typically developing preschool children who grow up in vulnerable contexts. It is therefore of the utmost relevance to produce empirical evidence for this population. For these reasons, this study aimed at characterizing and comparing narrative abilities and receptive vocabulary in a group of a total of 54 Uruguayan preschoolers from different socioeconomic backgrounds (middle and low socioeconomic status, SES). Children were assessed in receptive vocabulary and narrative abilities across two task conditions: (1) narrative comprehension through a story retelling task which included some final questions about the story; (2) narrative production elicited from a set of thematically related puppets. The examiner gives a child a puppet set and asks him/her to elaborate a narrative using them. After that, puppets are removed and the child is asked to retell the story without puppets. Children’s oral productions were video-taped and then transcribed and categorized using the ELAN software (Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 2019). The verbal information was categorized according to Stein and Glenn’s (1979) story grammar and considering the microstructural aspects (productivity and complexity). Analyses showed that both groups performed according to their stage of development in both narrative task conditions. With regards to the narrative comprehension task, no differences in the number of recovered categories, extension, or narrative complexity were observed. Concerning the narrative production task, there were no differences between the groups in narrative sequences, nor in the number of completed episodes in conditions neither with puppets nor without puppets. Results showed that children who grow up in poverty perform more poorly than their peers from middle-income families in receptive vocabulary, in the number of recovered episodes, ask-answer items of narrative comprehension tasks. Moreover, concerning the microstructural parameters analyses showed that children from middle socioeconomic backgrounds scored better in syntactic complexity in the without puppets condition. No differences between the groups were observed in syntactic complexity in the puppets condition. Taken together these results indicate a complex link between vocabulary and narrative abilities. It is worth noting that important differences in vocabulary did not reflect in the children’s narrative performance. These findings are also relevant as a contribution to an ongoing debate about the role of vocabulary in the development of narrative abilities. Furthermore, these results could inform the discussion about the ecological validity of the test of cognitive and linguistic development. Finally, to provide some additional evidence to Uruguayan Spanish language about the relationships between oral language and cognitive development allows to carry out early interventions before formal schooling sets children for success in school and life. https://doi.org/10.16888/interd.2022.39.3.4