Master of Science / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Deborah Norris / Language development in early childhood is an important indicator and precursor for children’s later development in various areas, such as emotional, social, cognitive, and academic development. Studies have shown that pretend play, as one of the predominant play types during the preschool period, is an important activity to facilitate children’s learning experiences and exploration. However, there has been a lack of consistency in findings across studies due to different study designs. It is likely that these varying study characteristics have resulted in the variability of effects in the pretend play-language relationship, which has been also suggested by previous reviews. These factors point to the potential of meta-analysis for organizing the studies into a common paradigm and better understanding the practical significance of play-language relationships. The current meta-analysis systematically reviewed and analytically investigated 25 existing empirical studies that had examined the associations between pretend play and language development among young children. The overall magnitude of the association between pretend play and language development, .36, showed a moderate association. Furthermore, moderator analyses indicated that several factors, such as the role of adults or children’s play types, tended to have considerable impacts on the associations between pretend play and language development. This study has determined the strength of the research foundation that currently supports inclusion of pretend play in preschool classrooms and has charted future research on the pretend play-language associations in the early childhood research field.

This research examines whether a seven-year-old nonverbal boy's comprehension of syntax develops at an accelerated rate following the introduction of speech output through a portable speech synthesizer (VOIS 135). The study was motivated by (1) a general lack of agreement about the relationship of comprehension and production in language acquisition, (2) some child language investigators' claims that--at certain points during the development of language--production precedes and influences comprehension, and (3) the natural experimental condition provided by a nonverbal child who is suddenly given the ability to 'speak' with the help of a portable speech synthesizer. At the beginning of the research period, the child's sentence comprehension was thoroughly assessed with standard and special purpose tests. His production was assessed through analysis of videotaped interactions. The child was then trained to use the synthetic speech device (VOIS 135) over an eight month period. At the end of this period testing of both comprehension and production was repeated to provide a measurement of language growth in each performance mode. The child demonstrated comprehension of concatenated structures and clefts at the end of the research period; this represented a developmental leap from the beginning of the research period when he understood only much simpler structures. During the eight month study, development of comprehension on the lexical level came to an apparent halt. Production results indicated that the child experienced a definite expansion in productive vocabulary and length of utterance during the research period. Observations indicated that the child's pragmatic and discourse skills improved markedly with his use of the speech output device. Factors which might account for developments (or lack of development as in the case of lexical comprehension) are discussed. Clinical implications of improvements in pragmatic and discourse skills through the use of the device are considered along with methodological suggestions for using this study as a pilot for larger research. Conclusions are that: (1) use of the speech synthesizer led the child to listen to utterances as structural wholes; (2) the child became a more active and independent partner in the communication exchange; (3) synthetic speech garnered the child more attention and more opportunities for interaction; (4) synthetic speech gave the subject access to a greater range of communication partners. While the comprehension-production results are interesting, i.e. the child was able to understand structures at a level of unanticipated complexity after being trained to use the speech device, these results do not elucidate the nature of the comprehension-production relationship. Difficulties in interpreting the results of this study underline the need for a coherent theory relating comprehension and production in language development. / Medicine, Faculty of / Audiology and Speech Sciences, School of / Graduate

Language and communication difficulties of young children with visual impairment (VI) may be ascribed to intellectual disability, multiple disabilities and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) rather than sensory impairment. As a result, the impact of VI on communication development has been underestimated and undertreated. Speech-language therapists should be included on the early intervention team for children with VI. There is a need to review and critically appraise recent peer reviewed research to examine the strength of the evidence and to describe the language and communication developmental characteristics in young children with VI. A literature review regarding the developmental characteristics of children with VI was compiled as a foundation of information. A systematic search of recent literature (2003-2013) was then completed using the PRISMA guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). Primary and secondary search phrases were used in three databases and 1661 articles pertaining to language and communication developmental characteristics were identified. Once the inclusion criteria were applied, the level of evidence of the nine remaining publications was determined. Thematic analysis was used to describe the early language and communication characteristics of children with VI. All the studies were from developed countries and participants from seven of the nine articles had congenital VI. Five studies received an evidence level rating of III while four articles were rated as IIb. Two main themes emerged from the studies, 1) early intervention and 2) multiple disabilities and ASD. Language and communication development is affected by VI especially in the early stages of development and speech-language therapists should therefore be included in early intervention for children with VI. Recent evidence on the early language and communication difficulties of children with VI is stronger than in the past where studies were mostly on evidence level IV, i.e. descriptive research and expert opinion. Language and communication difficulties are missed or not prioritized in children with VI due to the co-occurrence of multiple difficulties such as intellectual disability, ASD and multiple disabilities. Six articles attempt to address this problem. The impact of VI itself on communication remains unclear because the effect of VI on language and communication development cannot yet be separated from the primary conditions. Children with VI are a hidden population for speech-language therapists. This systematic review motivated the need for speech-language therapists to become involved in early intervention for children with VI from the perspective of prevention of further delay, intervention for existing delays and advocating for the awareness of the possible communication problems. Children with VI, specifically those in developing countries within Sub-Saharan Africa with acquired VI, need to receive greater focus not only within research but also in clinical practice. The identified language and communication developmental characteristics and early intervention guidelines by ASHA (2008) provide the framework for improved service provision by speech-language therapists to young children with VI. / Dissertation (MComm Path)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / Unrestricted

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Needs Education at the University Of Zululand, 2017 / The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between texting language and language development amongst Intermediate Phase learners. The study, which used the quantitative approach, sought to determine the influence of learner characteristics on texting language, determine if learners use texting language in the written forms of English, determine if learners are able to write in the standard form of English, and ascertain if texting affects spelling.The target population were learners in the Intermediate Phase, which is learners from Grade 4 up to Grade 6. There were 213 learners who took part in the study. All these learners were from five African schools, and learnt English as a second language. The instrument used for data collection was divided into four sections: demographic characteristics, translation of texts from Standard English to texting language, translation of texts from texting language to Standard English and also spelling. The SPSS version 24 was used to analyse the results collected from the study. The findings of the study reveal that age and the grade that the learner is doing has no influence on texting and the learner’s language development. Gender has an influence on texting and the learner’s language development. Female learners were found to text more than male learners. There is also no relationship between learner’s access to cellular phones and their language development. Learners are texting and they know how to text irrespective of whether they own a cellular phone, have access to one or do not have access to one at all. However, the study revealed that there is a positive relationship between texting language and Standard English. Texting language cannot come into existence without one first learning and knowing the Standard English language.Based on the findings, the study recommended that teachers should recognise the importance of English language and should organise extra-curricular and co-curricular activities to enhance language development in learners. The Department of Education should promote and support activities that will help learners to improve their language skills.

The differences in the language labeling of Head Start or lower socioeconomic- class children and nursery school or middle-socioeconomic class children were studied in this research. Also studied were the differences among children within the two classes in their ability to label concrete objects and actions compared with pictures of the same things or actions. Forty-eight children (24 Head Start and 24 nursery school) matched in sex and as closely as possible in age, were given a verbal labeling test which included questions in four areas: foods, animals, action words, and positional words. There were 40 questions, and half were of a real or concrete nature, and the other half were items in the form of picture questions. The results indicate that there is a difference in the language labeling of the middle-class child compared with the language labeling of the lower-social-class child. Also, when responding incorrectly, the middle-class child more often than the lower-social-class child made a response that more closely resembled the correct response either in appearance or semantically. The other finding was that there is no difference among children within each social class in this study in the labeling of real things or actions compared to pictures of the same things. In t he area of positional words there was a difference among the children within the two groups: in this group the middle- class children had more correct responses on the picture questions while the lower-social-class children had more correct responses on the concrete questions.

Since storytelling is a growing form of teaching we wanted to interview teachers to see what their experiences and opinions were on the subject. Our purpose was to investigate how teachers find working with storytelling and how it is related to language development. With help from our supervisor we were able to decide our interview questions that would help us answer our research question. After our interviews we reviewed the answers and analyzed them. We chose to have thematic rubrics in our results section. This enabled us to compare the different answers and analyze them. When we compiled the interviews we noticed that many of the teachers had the same opinion when it came to storytelling and how it can be used in school. In this degree project we found it relevant to analyze one part before going on to the next, therefore our analysis is integrated in our results section. We have done four qualitative interviews with four different teachers of the subject storytelling. The interviews concern their experiences with the subject and how they use it in their classrooms. We have found that teachers have a positive attitude towards storytelling since they experience that their students benefit from this in their language development and overall motivation in school.In my degree project I also have a section with English as a ESL perspective, how storytelling is used and how it can be used to develop students language in an ESL perspective. I chose to do the same as in the other parts, I present the result and then the analyze is integrated in the result part.

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<p><strong>Sammandrag </strong></p><p>Syftet med den här undersökningen var att undersöka hur pedagogerna på en förskola i Värmland upplever att införandet av TAKK har påverkat barnens språkutveckling. Jag ville också undersöka hur de språkutvecklande aktiviteterna på en småbarnsavdelning har förändrats sedan 2005 och vilken roll TAKK har i detta. Dessutom ville jag se om personalen använde tecken på alla avdelningar på förskolan.</p><p> </p><p>Jag kom fram till att den största skillnaden när det gäller språkutvecklande aktiviteter är att de har infört TAKK på småbarnsavdelningen som stöd till alla barn. Med hjälp av observationer och intervjuer på den aktuella förskolan kunde jag konstatera att pedagogerna på förskolan upplever att tecken är bra för alla små barns språkutveckling eftersom de har upptäckt att barnen fått ett mer utvecklat språk sedan metoden infördes.</p><p> </p><p>Litteraturstudierna bekräftade att TAKK kan användas till alla barn, även små barn, eftersom det blir ett redskap för barnet i sin kommunikation. Pedagogerna på förskolan upplever mindre frustration i barngruppen då barn och pedagoger förstår varandra mycket bättre idag. Barnen har blivit ovanligt bra på färger anser pedagogerna.</p><p> </p><p>En av de andra avdelningarna på förskolan använder TAKK, men inte till alla barn utan där använder man tecken främst till ett speciellt barn som behöver det som stöd i sin kommunikation. Den tredje avdelningen använder inte TAKK.</p> / <p><strong>Abstract</strong></p><p>The purpose of this investigation was to examine how the pedagogues of a preschool in Värmland experience that the introduction of TAKK has affected the children’s language development. I also wanted to examine how the language development activities in a small children’s department have been changed since 2005 and what part TAKK has in this. Furthermore I wanted to see if the personnel used signs in every department on the preschool.</p><p> </p><p>My conclusion was that the biggest difference when it comes to the activities for the language development is that they have introduced TAKK in the small children’s department as a support to all children. With the aid of observations and interviews made in the current preschool, I could establish that the pedagogues of the preschool experience that signs is a good help for every small child’s language development since they discovered that the children have a more developed language after the method was introduced.</p><p> </p><p>The literature studies confirmed that TAKK can be used on all children, even small children, since it becomes a tool for the child in its communication. The pedagogues of the preschool experience less frustration in the group of children as children and pedagogues understand each other much better today. The pedagogues consider that the children have become exceptionally good in defining colours.</p><p> </p><p>One of the other departments of the preschool uses TAKK but not to all children. They use signs mainly to a particular child who needs signs as a support for her communication. The third department doesn’t use TAKK.</p>

Sverige är sedan decennier tillbaka ett flerspråkigt land och flerspråkighet är en naturlig del av dagens samhälle. Minst en femtedel av alla elever i skolan har ett annat modersmål än svenska. För lärare blir det mer aktuellt att bedriva språkutvecklande undervisning som ger eleverna förutsättningar att utveckla både språk och ämneskunskaper. Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur lärare i åk 4–6 beskriver hur de arbetar språkutvecklande inom ämnet svenska med flerspråkiga elever. Studien utgår från det sociokulturella perspektivet och grundar sig i semistrukturerade intervjuer. Resultatet visar att lärarna arbetar språkutvecklande hela skoldagen och de poängterar hur viktigt det är att arbeta språkutvecklande för elevernas språk- och kunskapsutveckling. Modellering och EPA- modellen är två konkreta och effektiva arbetssätt som lärarna använder i undervisningen. Dock framkom det att lärarna oftast inte reflekterar över sitt arbetssätt då det sker per automatik och att elevernas modersmål inte används som en resurs i klassrummet. / For decades, Sweden has been a multilingual country and multiligualism is a natural part of today’s society. At least one fifth of all pupils in the school have a different mother tongue than Swedish. For teachers, it will be more relevant to conduct language development teaching which gives students the conditions to develop both language and subject knowledge. The purpose of this study is to investigate how teachers in elementary school describe their language development methods with multilingual pupils in the Swedish subject. The study is based on the sociocultural perspective as well as semistructured interviews. The result shows that the teachers work on language development throughout the school day and they point out how important it is to work on language development for students’ language and knowledge development. Modelling and the EPA- model are two concrete and effective working methods that are used by the teachers. However, it emerges that the teachers usually do not reflect on their way of working as it happens automatically and that the students mother tongue is not used as a resource in the classroom.