Work

The Expression of Aspect in Cantonese-Speaking Children With Specific Language Impairment

Year: 2005

Type: article

Abstract: Previous studies of verb morphology in children with specific language impairment (SLI) have been limited in the main to tense and agreement morphemes. Cantonese, which, like other Chinese languages, has no grammatical tense, presents an opportunity to investigate potential difficulties for children with SLI in other areas of verb morphology, via scrutiny of elements of its aspectual system. The performance of 3 groups of children (n = 15 in each group)--preschoolers with SLI, typically developing same-age peers, and younger, typically developing peers--was compared in procedures designed to elicit aspect forms. The children with SLI were less likely to produce both perfective and imperfective aspect markers. It is suggested that reasons for these findings are to be found in the sparse morphology of Cantonese and in the nonobligatory nature of these forms.

Source: Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research

DOI: 10.1044/1092-4388(2005/043)

Authors: Paul Fletcher, Laurence B. Leonard, Stephanie F. Stokes, Anita M.-Y. Wong

Institutions: University College Cork, Purdue University West Lafayette, University of Reading, University of Hong Kong

Language: English

Topic: Language Development and Disorders

Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: U.S. Public Health Service, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders