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The acquisition of English modal constructions: A corpus-based analysis

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The acquisition of English modal constructions: A corpus-based analysis. / Bell, Kimberly; Brandt, Silke; Lieven, Elena et al.
In: Journal of Child Language, Vol. 51, No. 5, 30.09.2024, p. 1134-1171.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Bell, K, Brandt, S, Lieven, E & Theakston, A 2024, 'The acquisition of English modal constructions: A corpus-based analysis', Journal of Child Language, vol. 51, no. 5, pp. 1134-1171. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000923000284

APA

Bell, K., Brandt, S., Lieven, E., & Theakston, A. (2024). The acquisition of English modal constructions: A corpus-based analysis. Journal of Child Language, 51(5), 1134-1171. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000923000284

Vancouver

Bell K, Brandt S, Lieven E, Theakston A. The acquisition of English modal constructions: A corpus-based analysis. Journal of Child Language. 2024 Sept 30;51(5):1134-1171. Epub 2023 May 29. doi: 10.1017/S0305000923000284

Author

Bell, Kimberly ; Brandt, Silke ; Lieven, Elena et al. / The acquisition of English modal constructions : A corpus-based analysis. In: Journal of Child Language. 2024 ; Vol. 51, No. 5. pp. 1134-1171.

Bibtex

@article{fd9c31a0fed04c57b24b53b8f6b3553f,
title = "The acquisition of English modal constructions: A corpus-based analysis",
abstract = "The English modal system is complex, exhibiting many-to-one, and one-to-many, form- function mappings. Usage-based approaches emphasise the role of the input in acquisition but rarely address the impact of form-function mappings on acquisition. To test whether consistent form-function mappings facilitate acquisition, we analysed two dense mother-child corpora at age 3 and 4. We examined the influence on acquisition of input features including form-function mapping frequency and the number of functions a modal signifies, using innovative methodological controls for other aspects of the input (e.g. form frequency) and child characteristics (e.g. age as a proxy for socio-cognitive development). The children were more likely to produce the frequent modals and form-function mappings of their input but modals with fewer functions in caregiver speech did not promote acquisition of these forms. Our findings support usage-based approaches to language acquisition and demonstrate the importance of applying appropriate controls when investigating relationships betweeninput and development.",
keywords = "Language acquisition, modal verbs, corpus-based methodology, input, usage-based approaches",
author = "Kimberly Bell and Silke Brandt and Elena Lieven and Anna Theakston",
year = "2024",
month = sep,
day = "30",
doi = "10.1017/S0305000923000284",
language = "English",
volume = "51",
pages = "1134--1171",
journal = "Journal of Child Language",
issn = "0305-0009",
publisher = "Cambridge University Press",
number = "5",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - The acquisition of English modal constructions

T2 - A corpus-based analysis

AU - Bell, Kimberly

AU - Brandt, Silke

AU - Lieven, Elena

AU - Theakston, Anna

PY - 2024/9/30

Y1 - 2024/9/30

N2 - The English modal system is complex, exhibiting many-to-one, and one-to-many, form- function mappings. Usage-based approaches emphasise the role of the input in acquisition but rarely address the impact of form-function mappings on acquisition. To test whether consistent form-function mappings facilitate acquisition, we analysed two dense mother-child corpora at age 3 and 4. We examined the influence on acquisition of input features including form-function mapping frequency and the number of functions a modal signifies, using innovative methodological controls for other aspects of the input (e.g. form frequency) and child characteristics (e.g. age as a proxy for socio-cognitive development). The children were more likely to produce the frequent modals and form-function mappings of their input but modals with fewer functions in caregiver speech did not promote acquisition of these forms. Our findings support usage-based approaches to language acquisition and demonstrate the importance of applying appropriate controls when investigating relationships betweeninput and development.

AB - The English modal system is complex, exhibiting many-to-one, and one-to-many, form- function mappings. Usage-based approaches emphasise the role of the input in acquisition but rarely address the impact of form-function mappings on acquisition. To test whether consistent form-function mappings facilitate acquisition, we analysed two dense mother-child corpora at age 3 and 4. We examined the influence on acquisition of input features including form-function mapping frequency and the number of functions a modal signifies, using innovative methodological controls for other aspects of the input (e.g. form frequency) and child characteristics (e.g. age as a proxy for socio-cognitive development). The children were more likely to produce the frequent modals and form-function mappings of their input but modals with fewer functions in caregiver speech did not promote acquisition of these forms. Our findings support usage-based approaches to language acquisition and demonstrate the importance of applying appropriate controls when investigating relationships betweeninput and development.

KW - Language acquisition

KW - modal verbs

KW - corpus-based methodology

KW - input

KW - usage-based approaches

U2 - 10.1017/S0305000923000284

DO - 10.1017/S0305000923000284

M3 - Journal article

VL - 51

SP - 1134

EP - 1171

JO - Journal of Child Language

JF - Journal of Child Language

SN - 0305-0009

IS - 5

ER -