Biomaterial Database

Plural acquisition in children with specific language impairment. 1993

J B Oetting, and M L Rice

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge.

A plural elicitation task and a nominal compounding task were administered to a group of children with SLI and two groups of normally developing children, an age-equivalent group (CA) and a language-equivalent group (MLU). Across tasks, differences between the CA and SLI groups were significant, but differences between the MLU and SLI groups were not. These findings suggest that by 5 years of age, children with SLI demonstrate a productive and differentiated plural system. However, unlike the normally developing children, the pluralization skills of the children with SLI were affected by input frequency, with nouns that are frequently pluralized in everyday conversation more readily inflected than ones that are infrequently pluralized. Three explanations within a model of linguistic normalcy are proposed to account for the frequency effect. These include (a) delayed independence of rule use, (b) linguistic vulnerability, and (c) a faulty lexicon.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007804	Language Development	The gradual expansion in complexity and meaning of symbols and sounds as perceived and interpreted by the individual through a maturational and learning process. Stages in development include babbling, cooing, word imitation with cognition, and use of short sentences.	Language Acquisition,Acquisition, Language,Development, Language
D007805	Language Development Disorders	Conditions characterized by language abilities (comprehension and expression of speech and writing) that are below the expected level for a given age, generally in the absence of an intellectual impairment. These conditions may be associated with DEAFNESS; BRAIN DISEASES; MENTAL DISORDERS; or environmental factors.	Language Delay,Speech Delay,Auditory Processing Disorder, Central,Central Auditory Processing Disorder,Developmental Disorder, Speech or Language,Developmental Language Disorders,Language Disorders, Developmental,Semantic-Pragmatic Disorder,Speech or Language, Developmental Disorder,Delay, Speech,Delays, Speech,Development Disorder, Language,Developmental Language Disorder,Disorder, Language Development,Disorders, Language Development,Language Delays,Language Development Disorder,Language Disorder, Developmental,Semantic Pragmatic Disorder,Semantic-Pragmatic Disorders,Speech Delays
D007807	Language Tests	Tests designed to assess language behavior and abilities. They include tests of vocabulary, comprehension, grammar and functional use of language, e.g., Development Sentence Scoring, Receptive-Expressive Emergent Language Scale, Parsons Language Sample, Utah Test of Language Development, Michigan Language Inventory and Verbal Language Development Scale, Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities, Northwestern Syntax Screening Test, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Ammons Full-Range Picture Vocabulary Test, and Assessment of Children's Language Comprehension.	Language Comprehension Tests,Vocabulary Tests,Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination,Boston Naming Test,Comprehensive Aphasia Test,Multilingual Aphasia Examination,Language Test
D008297	Male		Males
D002663	Child Language	The language and sounds expressed by a child at a particular maturational stage in development.	Child Languages,Language, Child,Languages, Child
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014705	Verbal Behavior	Includes both producing and responding to words, either written or spoken.	Behavior, Verbal,Behaviors, Verbal,Verbal Behaviors
D014825	Vocabulary	The sum or the stock of words used by a language, a group, or an individual. (From Webster, 3d ed)	Vocabularies