Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-v9fdk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-08T08:06:11.642Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The use of the definite and indefinite articles by Italian preschool children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

Abstract

In deciding whether to use a definite or indefinite referring expression a speaker must apply a pragmatic rule: the definite article is usually appropriate if the listener is already familiar with the referent, and the indefinite article if not. Several studies have investigated at what age this rule is mastered by children. The most satisfactory procedure so far adopted is a task in which the subject must narrate a pictorially-presented story to another child who cannot see the pictures. It has been found that 5-year-old children already follow the correct rule quite well, except that they make ‘egocentric errors’ (i.e. using the definite article when first mentioning a referent) in around 15–35% of instances. Experiment 1 here confirms that this pattern of results is also obtained using Italian children. A problem with this experimental design is then raised: it does not exclude the possibility that subjects might produce the correct response distribution by following a rule based on the SPEAKER'S familiarity with the referent, not the listener's. To check this possibility, a modified design was used (Experiment 2) in which the subject had to narrate the story to two listeners, one after the other. Significantly more egocentric errors were made on the second narration of the story than on the first narration.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1986

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.)

References

REFERENCES

Ackerman, B. P. (1983). Children's judgements of the functional acceptability of referential communications in discourse contexts. JChLang 10. 151–66.Google ScholarPubMed
Bennett-Kastor, T. (1983). Noun phrases and coherence in child narratives. JChLang 10. 135–49.Google ScholarPubMed
Bresson, F., Bouvier, N., Dannequin, C, Depreux, J., Hardy, M. & Platone, F. (1970). Quelques aspects du système des déterminants chez les enfants de l'école maternelle: utilisation des articles défini et indéfini. Institut Pédagogique National, Paris: Centre de Recherche de l'Education Specialiseé et de l'Adaption Scolaire. 2. 340.Google Scholar
Bresson, F. (1974). Remarks on genetic psycholinguistics: the acquisition of the article system in French. In Problèmes actuels en psycholinguistique. Paris: Editions de C.N.R.S.Google Scholar
Brown, R. (1973). A first language: the early stages. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clark, H. & Clark, E. (1977). Psychology and language: an introduction to psycholinguistics. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.Google Scholar
Donaldson, M. (1978). Children's minds. New York: Norton.Google Scholar
Emslie, H. & Stevenson, R. (1981). Preschool children's use of the articles in definite and indefinite referring expressions. JChLang 8. 313–28.Google ScholarPubMed
Maratsos, M. (1976). The use of definite and indefinite reference in young children. Cambridge: C.U.P.Google Scholar
Piaget, J. (1955). The language and thought of the child. New York: New American Library.Google Scholar
Warden, D. (1976). The influence of context on young children's use of identifying expressions and references. British Journal of Psychology 67. 101–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar