Research Database

A cross-linguistic examination of young children’s everyday language experiences

Topic:

NA

Authors:

Bunce, Soderstrom, Bergelson, Rosemberg, Stein, Alam, Migdalek, Casillas

Journal/Publication:

Journal of Child Language

Year:

2024
Participant Age Range:
2 –
36 months

Sample Size:

69

Participant Language:

North American English, UK English, Argentinian Spanish, Tseltal (Mayan), Yeli Dnye (Papuan)

Abstract:

We present an exploratory cross-linguistic analysis of the quantity of target-child-directed speech and adult-directed speech in North American English (US & Canadian), United Kingdom English, Argentinian Spanish, Tseltal (Tenejapa, Mayan), and Yélî Dnye (Rossel Island, Papuan), using annotations from 69 children aged 2–36 months. Using a novel methodological approach, our cross-linguistic and cross-cultural findings support prior work suggesting that target-child-directed speech quantities are stable across early development, while adult-directed speech decreases. A preponderance of speech from women was found to a similar degree across groups, with less target-child-directed speech from men and children in the North American samples than elsewhere. Consistently across groups, children also heard more adult-directed than target-child-directed speech. Finally, the numbers of talkers present in any given clip strongly impacted children’s moment-to-moment input quantities. These findings illustrate how the structure of home life impacts patterns of early language exposure across diverse developmental contexts.

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