ERIC Number: EJ1083007
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Oct
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0142-7237
EISSN: N/A
Linguistic Diversity in First Language Acquisition Research: Moving beyond the Challenges
Kelly, Barbara F.; Forshaw, William; Nordlinger, Rachel; Wigglesworth, Gillian
First Language, v35 n4-5 p286-304 Oct 2015
The field of first language acquisition (FLA) needs to take into account data from the broadest typological array of languages and language-learning environments if it is to identify potential universals in child language development, and how these interact with socio-cultural mechanisms of acquisition. Yet undertaking FLA research in remote field-based situations, where the majority of the world's languages are spoken and acquired, poses challenges for best-practice methodologies assumed in lab-based FLA research. This article discusses the challenges of child language acquisition research in fieldwork contexts with lesser-known, under-described languages with small communities of speakers. The authors suggest some modified approaches to methodology for child language research appropriate to challenging fieldwork situations, in the hope of encouraging more cross-linguistic acquisition research.
Descriptors: Native Language, Language Acquisition, Language Research, Contrastive Linguistics, Child Language, Research Methodology, Language Universals, Uncommonly Taught Languages, Language Classification, Best Practices, Indigenous Populations, Foreign Countries, Audio Equipment, Familiarity
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A