Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T14:22:34.520Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Cognitive principles underlying children's errors in pronominal case-marking*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

Christine Tanz
Affiliation:
University of Illinois

Abstract

Data on children's errors in marking pronominal case are surveyed and the pattern of errors described: children substitute objective forms for nominative ones but do not commit substitution errors in the opposite direction. It is proposed that two general cognitive principles underlying language acquisition might explain the uniformities in the data: avoid exceptions, and pay attention to the ends of words. It is further suggested that the last of these should be extended in scope, to cover short-term processing of larger constituents.

Type
Notes and Discussion
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1974

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

Bellugi, U. (1968). Linguistic mechanisms underlying child speech. In Zale, E. M. (ed.), Proceedings of the conference on language and language behavior. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.Google Scholar
Bloomfield, M. & Newmark, L. (1965). A linguistic introduction to the history of English. New York: Knopf.Google Scholar
Brown, R. (1973). A first language; the early stages. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gruber, J. (1967). Topicalization in child language. FL 3. 3765.Google Scholar
Hatch, E. (1969). Pronoun case preference of young children. Four experimental studies in syntax of young children. Los Angeles: Southwest Regional Laboratory for Educational Research and Development. TR 11.Google Scholar
Huxley, R. (1970). The development of the correct use of subject personal pronouns in two children. In D'Arcais, G. B. Flores & Levelt, W. J. M. (eds), Advances in psycholinguistics. New York: American Elsevier.Google Scholar
Jespersen, O. (1964). Language: its nature, development and origin. New York: W. W. Norton.Google Scholar
Menyuk, P. (1969). Sentences children use. Cambridge, Mass.: M.I.T.Google Scholar
Slobin, D. (1973). Cognitive prerequisites for the development of grammar. In Ferguson, C. & Slobin, D. (eds), Studies of child language development. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.Google Scholar