Individual differences in measures of linguistic experience account for variability in the sentence processing skill of five-year-olds
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Sarah E. Anderson
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying developmental transitions in sentence processing are not well understood. Eyetracking research demonstrates that five-year-olds do not use visual scene cues to constrain their interpretation of sentences as adults do (e.g. Snedeker & Trueswell 2004). This research also suggests that developmental differences in cue use may result from differing language experience; thus increased linguistic experience may improve children's use of visual context. Here, we employ computer mouse-tracking to investigate how young children integrate multiple sources of information to extract meaning. Children heard structurally ambiguous sentences while viewing scenes that did or did not support the difficult relative modifier interpretation. As previously reported, children rarely use visual context. Further, children with less language experience made more offline mistakes, implicating language experience as a possible mechanism underlying transitions to adult-like sentence comprehension. Keywords: Language comprehension; mouse-tracking; language development
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying developmental transitions in sentence processing are not well understood. Eyetracking research demonstrates that five-year-olds do not use visual scene cues to constrain their interpretation of sentences as adults do (e.g. Snedeker & Trueswell 2004). This research also suggests that developmental differences in cue use may result from differing language experience; thus increased linguistic experience may improve children's use of visual context. Here, we employ computer mouse-tracking to investigate how young children integrate multiple sources of information to extract meaning. Children heard structurally ambiguous sentences while viewing scenes that did or did not support the difficult relative modifier interpretation. As previously reported, children rarely use visual context. Further, children with less language experience made more offline mistakes, implicating language experience as a possible mechanism underlying transitions to adult-like sentence comprehension. Keywords: Language comprehension; mouse-tracking; language development
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- List of contributors ix
- Introduction 1
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Part I. Extracting regularities
- Toward a theory of gradual morphosyntactic learning 15
- Cues to form and function in the acquisition of German number and case inflection 35
- Developing first contrasts in Spanish verb inflection 53
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Part II. Multiple cues in learning to communicate
- A new look at redundancy in children's gesture and word combinations 75
- Learning the meaning of “ um ” 91
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Part III. Discovering units
- From first words to segments 109
- Analysis and generalization across verbs and constructions 135
- Two- and three-year-olds' linguistic generalizations are prudent adaptations to the language they hear 153
- Units of learning in language acquisition 167
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Part IV. Individual differences
- Causes and consequences of variability in early language learning 181
- Individual differences in measures of linguistic experience account for variability in the sentence processing skill of five-year-olds 203
- Genetic variation and individual differences in language 223
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Part V. Mechanisms for learning
- Language as a process 241
- Memory, sleep and generalization in language acquisition 261
- Bayesian modeling of sources of constraint in language acquisition 277
- Index 295
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- List of contributors ix
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Extracting regularities
- Toward a theory of gradual morphosyntactic learning 15
- Cues to form and function in the acquisition of German number and case inflection 35
- Developing first contrasts in Spanish verb inflection 53
-
Part II. Multiple cues in learning to communicate
- A new look at redundancy in children's gesture and word combinations 75
- Learning the meaning of “ um ” 91
-
Part III. Discovering units
- From first words to segments 109
- Analysis and generalization across verbs and constructions 135
- Two- and three-year-olds' linguistic generalizations are prudent adaptations to the language they hear 153
- Units of learning in language acquisition 167
-
Part IV. Individual differences
- Causes and consequences of variability in early language learning 181
- Individual differences in measures of linguistic experience account for variability in the sentence processing skill of five-year-olds 203
- Genetic variation and individual differences in language 223
-
Part V. Mechanisms for learning
- Language as a process 241
- Memory, sleep and generalization in language acquisition 261
- Bayesian modeling of sources of constraint in language acquisition 277
- Index 295
