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Relationships between parental input frequencies and children's language acquisition: a reanalysis of Brown's data*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

Ernst L. Moerk
Ernst L. Moerk
Affiliation:
California State University, Fresno
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Abstract

To evaluate Brown's assertion that frequency of input is not a significant variable in language acquisition, some of Brown's data were reanalysed. The data pertaining to Adam, Eve, Sarah and their parents were predominantly obtained from Brown's (1973) book and were supplemented from the transcripts. Parental input frequency and the children's age at mastery were highly related for each of the three triads. Then Sarah's input and rate of language acquisition were compared with that of the other two children. The correlation between Sarah's relative input deprivation and her relative linguistic delay was 0·66. Finally, an analysis of Eve's acquisition of specific prepositional phrases involving the preposition in were made. Again it was found that frequency of input was highly related to frequency of production. Detailed analyses of parent-child interactions provided evidence also for short-term effects of input frequency.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 7 , Issue 1 , February 1980 , pp. 105 - 118
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1980

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Footnotes

[*]

Profound appreciation is expressed to Dr Roger Brown, Harvard University, who so generously lent his transcripts to the writer. Address for correspondence: Department of Psychology, School of Natural Sciences, California State University, Shaw Avenue at Cedar, Fresno, CA 93740, U.S.A.

References

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