Information sequencing in complex sentences, discourse, and text in modern standard Chinese (MSC) is the modifying-modified sequence. This principle contrasts with English, where main information appears at the beginning of the speech acts of requests. The contribution of this difference to cross-cultural misunderstanding is described. (Contains…

Examined predictive properties of early language-learning experiences, parent socioeconomic status, and parenting skills on later academic performance in 29 toddlers from varying socioeconomic backgrounds. Variables predicted language and academic performance up to 10 years later in elementary school. Children whose early experiences led to…

Presents findings from the first phase of a longitudinal study examining the development of articulation quality and specific phoneme awareness during the fourth year of life. Articulation and phoneme awareness of /r/ and a control phoneme were assessed for 80 3-year-old children. (Author/JL)

Reviews the benefits of early exposure to books for infants and toddlers. Benefits include language and vocabulary development and creation of an emotional connection to books and reading. Offers suggestions on reading to infants and toddlers, advice on selecting appropriate books, and tips for making simple homemade books. (TJQ)

Examined whether 2-year-olds can learn a novel part name of an unfamiliar object when adult demonstrates action upon object. Asked 24 Japanese 2-year-olds to choose referent for a whole object and part of the object in forced choice tests. Found that young children are able to override whole object assumption when actions of parts of objects are…

Developmental aspects of spelling-to-sound mapping for English monosyllabic words are investigated with a simple two-layer network model using a simple, general learning rule. The model is trained on both regularly and irregularly spelled words but extracts regular spelling to sound relationships, which it can apply to new words. Training-related…

This article considers how information regarding processing limitations in children with specific language impairment (SLI) might be extended to assist in early identification of toddlers at risk for language disorder. Preliminary findings from an investigation of early lexical processing of 15 late talking toddlers and 15 controls are presented.…

This article uses a developmental model of language (Situational- Discourse-Semantics or SDS), along with a constellation or neuro-network model, to describe the developmental emergence of phonemic awareness. Ten sources of phonemic awareness are profiled along with developmental continuum, providing an integrated view of this complex development.…

Reports on a longitudinal study that examines first language vocabulary decline in a child whose native language input effectively ceased after her immersion in a second language environment. The subject was a Russian girl adopted by an American family and brought to the United States, completely isolated from any contact with Russian. (Author/VWL)

This investigation reports average length of communication units (C-units) in words and in morphemes for 95 African-American boys and girls (ages 4-6) from lower-income, urban homes. Mean C-units increased across the age span and syntactic complexity of the children's language samples correlated positively with increases in C-unit length.…

Describes the new teaching methods at Fort Peck, which include the combination of language-immersion and Montessori methods of teaching. The Montessori method, grounded in spiritual traditions, integrates all subjects and includes cultural immersion and parental involvement. (YKH)

Presents evidence for four major design features of serial organization of speech arising from comparison of babbling and early speech with patterns in ten languages. Maintains that no explanation for the design features is available from Universal Grammar; except for intercyclical consonant repetition development, perceptual-motor learning seems…

Examines a song spontaneously created by a 44-month old. Finds that the relationship of the structure and functions of the song demonstrated the variation of egocentric speech connected to the child's thinking. Concludes that observation of form and content of such language use can provide information about language development, sense of self, and…

Reports on research examining whether first language learners do not include regular plural [-s] inflection within compounds, whereas they do include irregulars. Adolescent francophone English-as-Second-Language students and 15 adult native-speaker controls were required to generate novel compounds in English. Results report regular plurals were…

A study of 3 mothers and their 12- to 18-month-old at-risk children found mothers engaged in more physical play, used a directive interaction style, and needed a high number of bids to keep their child's attention. Talk and play improved when mothers used pictures in books to talk to children. (Author/CR)