Child-directed speech techniques and Zach's non-standard language
Halla uses repetition of Zach’s language to feed his speech
back to him, for example, Zach says ‘Here it is’ and then Halla echoes ‘Here it
is’. Halla uses this child-directed speech technique to help with his language
development. This is used similarly in adult language to remember topics and
therefore must help a child to remember aspects of speech. Halla also uses
language aspects from the theorist Skinner Operant who suggests that a care
giver could repair a child’s language through correct adult utterances, which
is also identified as positive reinforcement as they don’t use the determiner
‘no’ to correct. However, it could be identified by the child as neither
positive nor negative reinforcement as they don't establish the differences
between the sounds, but should eventually get used to this utterance. An
example of this is when Zach says ‘It doesn't go frough’ and Halla corrects him
with ‘It doesn't go through’. This is called simplification through
substitution as the child thinks they are pronouncing the adults version and
they don’t perceive it as different, another example of this is within this
transcript is 'dere'. Within this Halla incorporates the use of repetition and
positive reinforcement by correcting him subtly to not upset him or Zach most
likely would not notice the correction she makes. Alongside this she mentions
Zach being ‘a star’ and thanks him at the end of the recording which lets the
child know they are doing well and encourages them to speak. The uses of
questions are important for child language development and Halla asks them
frequently throughout the transcript. For example the use of tag questions are
effective as the question is converted from a statement by an appended
interrogative formula, which helps the child establish what they are being
asked through the previous statement 'I don't think you wanted those biscuits
did you?' this tag question allows Zach to respond with 'I think I don't'. Here
Zach uses the contraction 'don't' which could be established as an echo from his
mother’s utterance. In addition, Zach asks his mother questions too, for
example, 'I can't get it up dere (.) no?' this tag question encourages his
mother to reply to him and could be implied as taking aspects of his mother's
language and putting it into his own. Zach is in the telegraphic stage and
during this time children are rather egocentric, if the situation had changed
and Halla did not respond to Zach's question we may have been able to establish
this attribute. On the other hand, Zach does identify when it is his turn to
speak as he waits for his father to finish talking and then changes the topic
to what he is doing - 'It doesn't go frough'. Furthermore, Zach demonstrates
non-standard omission through not including the auxiliary verb 'am', for example
'I cutting round the edge' this is also established as ellipsis as we can still
understand what he is trying to say but it isn't standard language.
