Showing papers in "Language Acquisition in 2021"
TL;DR: This article revisited the longstanding observation that children produce modal verbs with their root meanings (e.g., abilities, obligations) by age 2, typically a year or more earing the verb root.
Abstract: This paper revisits the longstanding observation that children produce modal verbs (e.g., must, could) with their root meanings (e.g., abilities, obligations) by age 2, typically a year or more ear...
12 citations
TL;DR: The present study examines how German-sourced languages vary according to which morphosyntactic forms of embedding are present in the grammar and which of these forms allow recursive embedding.
Abstract: Languages vary according to which morphosyntactic forms of embedding are present in the grammar as well as to which of these forms allow recursive embedding. The present study examines how German-s...
9 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the role of verbal mediation during theory of mind processing in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was tested and adolescents with ASD or typical development completed a false belief task while sim...
Abstract: This study tests the role of verbal mediation during theory of mind processing in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Adolescents with ASD or typical development completed a false belief task while sim...
7 citations
TL;DR: The present study evaluated whether listeners can use spatial deixis (i...) to process language efficiently and to coordinate dialogue.
Abstract: Prediction-based theories posit that interlocutors use prediction to process language efficiently and to coordinate dialogue. The present study evaluated whether listeners can use spatial deixis (i...
6 citations
TL;DR: Attitude verbs like think and want describe mental states (belief and desire) that lack reliable physical correlates that could help children learn their meanings as mentioned in this paper. Nevertheless, children succeed in learning their meanings.
Abstract: Attitude verbs like think and want describe mental states (belief and desire) that lack reliable physical correlates that could help children learn their meanings. Nevertheless, children succeed in...
6 citations
TL;DR: This paper found that producing inflected words has been less reliable and consistent in bilinguals than in first-language (first-person) languages, and that morphological variability in bilingual language production is widely attested.
Abstract: Morphological variability in bilingual language production is widely attested. Producing inflected words has been found to be less reliable and consistent in bilinguals than in first-language (func...
5 citations
TL;DR: It is found that rUTAH can be derived but UTAH can’t, if children derive their linking theories from their input as specified here.
Abstract: We investigate concrete acquisition theories for a derived approach to linking theory development and explore to what extent two prominent linking theories in the syntactic literature—UTAH and rUTA...
5 citations
TL;DR: The authors present corpus analyses, two experiments, and a preliminary English-French comparison on children's acquisition of wh-in-situ. But they do not present a comparison of the two languages.
Abstract: We present in this article corpus analyses, two experiments, and a preliminary English-French comparison on children’s acquisition of wh-in-situ. Our examination of 10,000 wh-questions from CHILDES...
5 citations
TL;DR: The authors found that the speed of word processing in monolingual children and adults is influenced by word properties, such as the age of acquisition (AoA), imageability, and frequency.
Abstract: Word knowledge and the speed of word processing in monolingual children and adults are influenced by word properties, such as the age of acquisition (AoA), imageability, and frequency. Understandin...
4 citations
TL;DR: This paper found that children seem to be relatively delayed in their comprehension of the verbal be-passive in English, compared to their acquisition of other constructions of object-movement such as wh-questions and u...
Abstract: Children seem to be relatively delayed in their comprehension of the verbal be-passive in English, compared to their acquisition of other constructions of object-movement such as wh-questions and u...
4 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the sentence Mary didn't eat pizza or sushi is assigned the neither interpretation (both disjuncts must be false) in English and Mandarin Chinese, respectively.
Abstract: In English, the sentence Mary didn’t eat pizza or sushi is assigned the neither interpretation (both disjuncts must be false). In Mandarin Chinese, the equivalent sentence is assigned the at least ...
TL;DR: Although the Japanese reflexive zibun can be bound both locally and across clause boundaries, the third-person pronoun kare cannot take a local antecedent as mentioned in this paper, and therefore cannot be bound across clauses.
Abstract: Although the Japanese reflexive zibun can be bound both locally and across clause boundaries, the third-person pronoun kare cannot take a local antecedent. These are properties that children need t...
TL;DR: The authors investigated how children acquire word order generalizations from ambiguous and infrequent input, and focused on verb placement in Norwegian relative and complement clauses, in two elicit elicitation elicits.
Abstract: This article investigates how children acquire word order generalizations from ambiguous and infrequent input. We focus on verb placement in Norwegian relative and complement clauses. In two elicit...
TL;DR: In this article, the discovery of covert contrast has been used to understand the intermediate stages of first-language acquisition and disordered speech, where a covert contrast is a statistically relia...
Abstract: Research attempting to understand the intermediate stages of first-language acquisition and disordered speech has led to the discovery of covert contrast. A covert contrast is a statistically relia...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a challenge to young language learners, given their vague meaning and ability to take on an upper-bounded interpretation (relative to all) in certain con...
Abstract: Quantificational elements such as some pose a challenge to young language learners, given their vague meaning and ability to take on an upper-bounded interpretation (relative to all) in certain con...
TL;DR: This paper explored what constrains L2 phonological acquisition of European Portuguese /l/ and /ð/ across prosodic contexts and how different speech modalities interact during this process.
Abstract: This doctoral dissertation explores what constrains L2 phonological acquisition of European Portuguese /l/ and /ɾ/ across prosodic contexts and how different speech modalities interact during this ...
TL;DR: Experimental studies show that children have greater difficulty with extraction from object position than subject position, arguably an intervention effect (e.g., Relativized Minimality) as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Experimental studies show that children have greater difficulty with wh-extraction from object position than subject position, arguably an intervention effect (e.g., Relativized Minimality). In thi...
TL;DR: A special issue on linguistic and cognitive development in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) arose from the 42nd Boston University Conference on Language Development (BUCLD) (2017) as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: This Special Issue on linguistic and cognitive development in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) arose from the 42nd Boston University Conference on Language Development (BUCLD) (2017), w...
TL;DR: In this paper, a reconceptualization of the principles and parameters (P&P) framework is proposed, in which in lieu of discrete parameter values, a parameter value exists on a gradient plane.
Abstract: In this article, we propose a reconceptualization of the principles and parameters (P&P) framework. We argue that in lieu of discrete parameter values, a parameter value exists on a gradient plane ...
TL;DR: Learners’ command of case was identified as a reliable predictor of convergence in discourse-to-syntax mappings, which confirms the key role of inflectional morphology in the acquisition of other grammar areas, including interfaces between grammar and grammar-external domains such as discourse.
Abstract: The Bottleneck Hypothesis argues that properties of inflectional morphology explain why second-language learners may face persistent difficulties in articulating meaning in target-language forms. I...
TL;DR: This article used a picture-selection task to test comprehension of SIFT features in children's comprehension tasks, and found that children use phi-features via overt morphology in comprehension tasks.
Abstract: Many languages encode phi-features via overt morphology, yet children’s use of this morphology in comprehension tasks varies widely. Here, we use a picture-selection task to test comprehension of S...
TL;DR: The authors showed that bilinguals recognize words with shared morphology and phonology cross-linguistically (i.e., cognates) faster than words that do not have these characteristics.
Abstract: Bilinguals recognize words with shared morphology and phonology cross-linguistically (i.e., cognates) faster than words that do not have these characteristics. Moreover, higher phonological overlap...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors address the question of whether gender agreement is impaired in SLI German and examine article production and gender marking on articles in three groups of German-speaking children.
Abstract: This study addresses the question of whether gender agreement is impaired in SLI German. Article production and gender marking on articles were examined in three groups of German-speaking children:...
TL;DR: In the context of Italian relative clauses, this article showed that relative clauses like IL bambino che bacia la mamma "the child that kisses the mom" are ambiguous between a subject reading and an object reading with postverbal subject.
Abstract: Italian relative clauses like Il bambino che bacia la mamma ‘the child that kisses the mom’ are ambiguous between a subject reading and an object reading with postverbal subject. However, the latte...
TL;DR: This paper investigated adult L2 speakers' use of different types of information in the comprehension of pragmatic inferences by examining L1-Mandarin Chinese L2-English speakers' sensitivit...
Abstract: This study aims to investigate adult L2 speakers’ use of different types of information in the comprehension of pragmatic inferences by examining L1-Mandarin Chinese L2-English speakers’ sensitivit...