Talk:Single Word Utterances/@comment-24947466-20150731191120

The Structure of Communication in Early Language Development Howe, Christine J. Journal of Child Language4.3 (Oct 1977): 479-483.

Greenfield & Smith believe their data demonstrate unequivocally that most propositional elements emerge in a predictable order during the period of single-word utterances. Their data are the records of the lang development of two children from ages 0:7:21 to 1:10:0 & 0:8:19 to 1:9:8. These records were analysed in terms of Fillmore's case grammar. (See LLBA V/2, p. 693) Greenfield & Smith claim that the children's first words were non-propositional, serving to complete rather than to refer to actions. They had words which performed ritual actions in adult exchanges (called performatives). Other words used filled the classifications of indicative objects, volitional objects, & volitions. These all developed before the end of the first year. It was observed that children use speech first as part of actions & then to refer to their own actions & other agents, objects, & recipients. Later speech is used to refer to their own agency & the actions of others. Finally, they use speech to refer to the location of objects, agents, etc. The introductory chapter provides a reasoned summary of language development research up to the early 1970s. The work also explains how intonation can be a useful clue to modality. However, overall the book is disappointing. It fails because a proper interpretation of spontaneous speech will not find justification in contextual information of any degree of elaborateness. J. Atkinson

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