ERIC Number: EJ1192005
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Sep
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1092-4388
EISSN: N/A
Morphosyntax Production of Preschool Children with Hearing Loss: An Evaluation of the Extended Optional Infinitive and Surface Accounts
Werfel, Krystal L.
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, v61 n9 p2313-2324 Sep 2018
Purpose: The first aim of this study was to explore differences in profiles of morphosyntax production of preschool children with hearing loss (CHL) relative to age- and language-matched comparison groups. The second aim was to explore the potential of extending 2 long-standing theoretical accounts of morphosyntax weakness in children with specific language impairment to preschool CHL. Method: This study examined conversational language samples to describe the accuracy and type of inaccurate productions of Brown's grammatical morphemes in 18 preschool CHL as compared with an age-matched group (±3 months, n = 18) and a language-matched group (±1 raw score point on an expressive language subtest, n = 18). Age ranged from 45 to 62 months. Performance across groups was compared. In addition, production accuracy of CHL on morphemes that varied by tense and duration was compared to assess the validity of extending theoretical accounts of children with specific language impairment to CHL. Results: CHL exhibited particular difficulty with morphosyntax relative to other aspects of language. In addition, differences across groups on accuracy and type of inaccurate productions were observed. Finally, a unified approach to explaining morphosyntax weakness in CHL was more appropriate than a linguistic- or perceptual-only approach. Conclusions: Taken together, the findings of this study support a unified theoretical account of morphosyntax weakness in CHL in which both tense and duration of morphemes play a role in morphosyntax production accuracy, with a more robust role for tense than duration.
Descriptors: Morphology (Languages), Syntax, Preschool Children, Hearing Impairments, Interpersonal Communication, Accuracy, Grammar, Morphemes
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 2200 Research Blvd #250, Rockville, MD 20850. Tel: 301-296-5700; Fax: 301-296-8580; e-mail: slhr@asha.org; Web site: http://jslhr.pubs.asha.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: R03DC014535