Negative input for grammatical errors: effects after a lag of 12 weeks

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Negative input for grammatical errors: effects after a lag of 12 weeks

Saxton, Matthew; Backley, Phillip; Gallaway, Clare; (2005) Negative input for grammatical errors: effects after a lag of 12 weeks. Journal of Child Language , 32 (3) pp. 643-672. Green open access

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Abstract

Effects of negative input for 13 categories of grammatical error were assessed in a longitudinal study of naturalistic adult-child discourse. Two-hour samples of conversational interaction were obtained at two points in time, separated by a lag of 12 weeks, for 12 children (mean age 2;0 at the start). The data were interpreted within the framework offered by Saxton’s (1997; 2000) contrast theory of negative input. Corrective input was associated with subsequent improvements in the grammaticality of child speech for three of the target structures. No effects were found for two forms of positive input: non-contingent models, where the adult produces target structures in non-error-contingent contexts; and contingent models, where grammatical forms follow grammatical child usages. The findings lend support to the view that, in some cases at least, the structure of adult-child discourse yields information on the bounds of grammaticality for the language-learning child.

Type:	Article
Title:	Negative input for grammatical errors: effects after a lag of 12 weeks
Open access status:	An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Language:	English
Additional information:	Copyright © 2005 Cambridge University Press
UCL classification:	UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education
URI:	https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10002794