Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T12:47:37.273Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The relationship of pragmatic dimensions of mothers' speech to the referential-expressive distinction*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

Maria Della Corte ,
Helen Benedict  and
Diane Klein
Maria Della Corte
Affiliation:
Michigan State University
Helen Benedict
Affiliation:
Michigan State University
Diane Klein
Affiliation:
Michigan State University
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A 50-utterance corpus for each of sixteen mothers during caretaking situations (diapering, dressing, bathing) was extracted from in-home tape recordings obtained over a three-day period. The children ranged from 1; 3.15 to 1; 7 and were classified according to Nelson's referential-expressive distinction. A coding scheme consisting of three categories – communicative intent, focus of attention and evaluation – was employed to characterize the mothers' speech. Mothers of referential children produced a greater number of utterances per caretaking incident, more description and less prescriptives than did mothers of expressive children. The findings suggest that Nelson's referential-expressive distinction in child's speech is related to differences in mothers' pragmatic speech characteristics.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 10 , Issue 1 , February 1983 , pp. 35 - 43
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

[*]

We would like to thank Laurie Rotblatt and Jim Barnyak for their dedication and contribution to the classification of the data. Helen Benedict is now at Baylor University, and Diane Klein at the Kansas Neurological Institute. Address for correspondence: Maria Della Corte, Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824.

References

REFERENCES

Benedict, H. & Truhon, S. (1981). The effects of context on parent-toddler language interactions. Ms.Google Scholar
Bloom, L., Lightbown, P. & Hood, L. (1975). Structure and variation in child language. Monogr.Soc.Res.Ch.Devel. 40. No. 2.Google Scholar
Broen, P. A. (1972). The verbal environment of the language learning child. ASHA Monogr. 17.Google Scholar
Drach, K. (1969). The language of the parent: a pilot study. Working Papers 14. University of California, Berkeley: Language-Behavior Research Laboratory.Google Scholar
Dunn, J., Wooding, C. & Hermann, J. (1977). Mothers' speech to young children: variation in context. DevMedChNeurol 19. 629–38.Google ScholarPubMed
Golinkoff, R. M. & Ames, G. J. (1979). A comparison of fathers' and mothers' speech with their young children. ChDev 50. 28–32.Google Scholar
Klein, D. (1980). Expressive and referential communication in children's early language development: the relationship to mothers' communicative styles. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Michigan State University.Google Scholar
Nelson, K. (1973). Structure and strategy in learning to talk. Monogr.Soc.Res.Ch.Devel. 38. No. 149.Google Scholar
Peters, A. M. (1977). Language learning strategies: does the whole equal the sum of the parts? Lg 53. 560–73.Google Scholar
Phillips, J. (1973). Syntax and vocabulary of mothers' speech to young children: age and sex comparisons. ChDev 44. 182–5.Google Scholar
Remick, H. (1976). Maternal speech to children during language acquisition. In von Raffler-Engel, W. & Lebrun, Y.. (eds), Baby talk and infant speech. Netherlands: Swets & Zeitlinger.Google Scholar
Sachs, J., Brown, R. & Salerno, R. A. (1976). Adults' speech to children. In von Raffler-Engel, W. & Lebrun, Y.. (eds), Baby talk and infant speech. Netherlands: Swets & Zeitlinger.Google Scholar
Schachter, F. F. (1979). Everyday mother talk to toddlers: early intervention. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Snow, C. E. (1972). Mothers' speech to children learning language. ChDev 43. 549–65.Google Scholar
Snow, C. E. (1977). Mothers' speech research: from input to interaction. In Snow, C. E.. & Ferguson, C. A.. (eds), Talking to children: Cambridge: C.U.P.Google Scholar
Snow, C. E., Arlman-Rupp, A., Hassing, Y., Jobse, J., Joosten, J. & Vorster, J. (1976). Mothers' speech in three social classes. JPsycholingRes 5. 1–20.Google Scholar