Children’s sensitivity to caregiver cues and the role of adult feedback in the developmentof referential communication
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A. Beyza Ateş-Şen
Abstract
Many studies have examined when children are (in)competent in making appropriate referential choices based on their listeners’ requirements. Traditionally, child-level social-cognitive abilities have been invoked in explaining the increasing sophistication of referential skills with age. However, recent research has generated interest in the contributions of interactive partners and motivations to the developmental process. This chapter presents and critically evaluates research emphasizing the influence of adult behavior and feedback on the development of children’s referential skills. The first section reviews studies examining how children’s skills improve by developing sensitivity to adults’ verbal and non-verbal communicative cues. The second section reviews training studies that investigate how adult feedback affects children’s improvement in referential communication. The third section provides some concluding remarks and future directions.
Abstract
Many studies have examined when children are (in)competent in making appropriate referential choices based on their listeners’ requirements. Traditionally, child-level social-cognitive abilities have been invoked in explaining the increasing sophistication of referential skills with age. However, recent research has generated interest in the contributions of interactive partners and motivations to the developmental process. This chapter presents and critically evaluates research emphasizing the influence of adult behavior and feedback on the development of children’s referential skills. The first section reviews studies examining how children’s skills improve by developing sensitivity to adults’ verbal and non-verbal communicative cues. The second section reviews training studies that investigate how adult feedback affects children’s improvement in referential communication. The third section provides some concluding remarks and future directions.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- The acquisition of nominal determiners 25
- Mapping information structure and word order 51
- Children’ use of intonation in reference and the role of input 83
- The role of gesture in referential communication 105
- The role of cognitive accessibility in children’s referential choice 123
- Acquisition and use of pronouns in a dialogic perspective 155
- From early to late mastery of reference 181
- Online evidence for children’s interpretation of personal pronouns 213
- Children’s sensitivity to caregiver cues and the role of adult feedback in the developmentof referential communication 241
- The cognitive underpinnings of referential abilities 263
- Production and comprehension of pronouns and reflexives in atypical populations 285
- Referential expressions in bilingual acquisition 311
- Language index 335
- Subject index 337
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- The acquisition of nominal determiners 25
- Mapping information structure and word order 51
- Children’ use of intonation in reference and the role of input 83
- The role of gesture in referential communication 105
- The role of cognitive accessibility in children’s referential choice 123
- Acquisition and use of pronouns in a dialogic perspective 155
- From early to late mastery of reference 181
- Online evidence for children’s interpretation of personal pronouns 213
- Children’s sensitivity to caregiver cues and the role of adult feedback in the developmentof referential communication 241
- The cognitive underpinnings of referential abilities 263
- Production and comprehension of pronouns and reflexives in atypical populations 285
- Referential expressions in bilingual acquisition 311
- Language index 335
- Subject index 337
