Eglė KRIVICKAITĖ PHONOTACTICS DEVELOPMENT of CHILDREN's
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VYTAUTAS MAGNUS UNIVERSITY Eglė KRIVICKAITĖ PHONOTACTICS DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN’S LANGUAGE Summary of Doctoral Dissertation Humanities, Philology (04 H) Kaunas, 2016 The dissertation has been prepared at Vytautas Magnus University in 2011– 2015. The right for the joint doctoral studies was accorded to Vytautas Magnus University, Klaipėda University, Šiauliai University and the Institute of the Lithuanian Language on July 8, 2011 according to the decree of the Minister of Education and Science of Lithuania No. V-1019. Scientific supervisor: prof. dr. Ineta Dabašinskienė (Vytautas Magnus University, Humanities, Philology – 04 H) The dissertation is defended in Philology Science Board of Vytautas Magnus University together with Klaipėda University, Šiauliai University and Lithuanian Language Institute: Chairperson: Prof. Dr. Asta Kazlauskienė (Vytautoas Magnus University, Humanities, Philology – 04H) Members: Prof. Habil. Dr. Bonifacas Stundžia (Vilnius University, Humanities, Philology – 04H) Prof. Dr. Dalia Pakalniškienė (Klaipėda University, Humanities, Philology – 04H) Prof. Dr. Genovaitė Kačiuškienė (Šiauliai University, Humanities, Philology – 04H) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Laura Kamandulytė-Merfeldienė (Vytautas Magnus University, Humanities, Philology – 04H) The dissertation shall be defended in an open session of Philology Science Board on May 20, 2016 at 12 o‘clock at Vytautas Magnus University, room 211. Address: K. Donelaičio str. 52, 44244 Kaunas, Lithaunia The summary of the doctoral dissertation was sent out on April 19, 2016. The dissertation is available in the libraries of Vytautas Magnus University, Klaipėda University, Šiauliai University and the Institute of the Lithuanian Language. 2 VYTAUTO DIDŽIOJO UNIVERSITETAS Eglė KRIVICKAITĖ VAIKŲ KALBOS FONOTAKTIKOS RAIDA Daktaro disertacijos santrauka Humanitariniai mokslai, filologija (04 H) Kaunas, 2016 3 Mokslo daktaro disertacija rengta 2011–2015 metais Vytauto Didžiojo universitete pagal suteiktą Vytauto Didžiojo universitetui su Klaipėdos universitetu, Šiaulių universitetu ir Lietuvių kalbos institutu (2011 m. birželio 8 d. Švietimo ir mokslo ministro įsakymas Nr. V-1019) doktorantūros teisę. Mokslinė vadovė: prof. dr. Ineta Dabašinskienė (Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas, humanitariniai mokslai, filologija – 04 H) Mokslo disertacija ginama Vytauto Didžiojo universiteto su Klaipėdos universitetu, Šiaulių universitetu ir Lietuvių kalbos institutu Filologijos mokslo krypties taryboje: Pirmininkė: prof. dr. Asta Kazlauskienė (Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas, humanitariniai mokslai, filologija – 04H) Nariai: prof. habil. dr. Bonifacas Stundžia (Vilniaus universitetas, humanitariniai mokslai, filologija – 04H) prof. dr. Dalia Pakalniškienė (Klaipėdos universitetas, humanitariniai mokslai, filologija – 04H) prof. dr. Genovaitė Kačiuškienė (Šiaulių universitetas, humanitariniai mokslai, filologija – 04H) doc. dr. Laura Kamandulytė-Merfeldienė (Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas, humanitariniai mokslai, filologija – 04H) Daktaro disertacija bus ginama viešame filologijos krypties tarybos posėdyje 2016 m. gegužės 20 d., 12 val. Vytauto Didžiojo universiteto 211 auditorijoje. Adresas: K. Donelaičio g. 52, 44244 Kaunas, Lietuva Disertacijos santrauka išsiųsta 2016 m. balandžio 19 d. Disertaciją galima peržiūrėti Vytauto Didžiojo universiteto, Klaipėdos universiteto, Šiaulių universiteto ir Lietuvių kalbos instituto bibliotekose. 4 1. INTRODUCTION Relevance of the Topic and Novelty of the Thesis The present thesis analyses the phonotactics acquisition of Lithuanian children. The acquisition of Lithuanian sounds, their combinations, and words with different structure has been described only fragmentary and focusing on different periods (Garšvienė, Ivoškuvienė 1993; Garšvienė, Juškienė 2008; Auksoriūtė 2010; Kamandulytė 2006a, b; Kamandulytė-Merfeldienė 2015). It has been observed that an increasing number of children need speech therapists’ or special pedagogues’ help every year because of impairments in language development: 1 children have difficulty in remembering new words, pronouncing forms with more complicated structure, concentrating, etc.2 Thus, consistent research, using innovative methods, is necessary, the results of which would reveal the acquisition of Lithuanian phonology and phonotactics in greater detail. Applying the experimental method, also referred to as a special task, the present thesis explores the language data of five children age groups: 4;00–4;113, 5;00– 5;11, 6;00–6;11, 7;00–7;11, 8;00–8;11; i.e. preschool age (4;00–5;11), preprimary school age (6;00–6;11), and junior primary school age (7;00–8;11). Earlier experimental research on Lithuanian children’s language was mainly carried out with one or two age groups. It is important to mention that the present dissertation research has a large sample as each age group contains 95-97 participants. In total, the data of 480 typically developing children aged from four to eight were collected at the kindergartens and schools in Kaunas city, Kaunas district, and Kaunas county. It is suggested that such large sample size could help to determine the features of Lithuanian phonotactics acquisition more objectively. In order to collect the data, the Lithuanian non-word repetition test was used for the first time. The Objective of the Study The aim of the dissertation is to analyse the features of phonotactics of preschool age (4;00-5;11), pre-primary school age (6;00-6;11), and junior primary 1 According to the data of Statistics Lithuania, the number of children in special education groups in preschool educational institutions has been increasing: 694 children in 2012, 712 children in 2013, and 836 children in 2014. 2 This has been noted during individual consultations with speech therapists at kindergartens and schools. 3 Age is marked the following: 4;00–4;11 from four years 0 months to four years 11 months. 5 school age (7;00-8;11) children, applying the non-word repetition test. In order to reach the aim, the following objectives have been formulated: 1. to present the methodology of the Lithuanian non-word repetition test; 2. to collect representative data of children’s language, using non-word repetition test; 3. to perform a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data: 3.1. on the basis of the statistical analysis, using SPSS 17.0 programme, to determine the following: 3.1.1.1. the influence of age and sex on phonotactics acquisition; 3.1.1.2. the acquisition tendencies of non-words with different structure among children aged from four to eight; 3.2. to determine the strategies of pronunciation simplification of non-words employed by different age groups; 3.3. to describe and compare the pronunciation features of sounds and their clusters of each age group; 4. to determine the most typical features of phonotactics acquisition of Lithuanian children’s language based on the results of the qualitative and quantitative results. Research Methods The present research uses the combination of several methods: a cross- sectional method was used in order to collect the sample; an experimental method (non- word repetition test) was used to collect the research data; in order to analyse the data, error analysis, comparative, and statistical methods were employed. The Lithuanian non-word repetition test was designed for this research; therefore, the application of this test by foreign researchers and the structure of the Lithuanian non-word repetition test are described in greater detail. The non-words repeated inaccurately were analysed using a qualitative error analysis method. When comparing different age groups, as well as the results of boys and girls, a comparative method was applied. Statistical methods were used in order to discuss the influence of sex and age on phonotactics acquisition. The use of the combination of these methods allowed identifying the main acquisition features of Lithuanian phonotactics in different age groups. 6 The Practical Value of the Research The results of the present dissertation might be useful and topical in preparing practical speech development tasks for typically developing children. After determining the sounds, their clusters, and the structure of words which are difficult to pronounce for children of different age groups, kindergarten teachers, secondary school teachers, speech therapists, and parents could devote more attention for their development. The results obtained during the present research have revealed the acquisition features of sounds and their clusters, as well as of words with different structure in the speech of typically developing children aged from four to eight. Therefore, these results might be useful for speech therapists and special pedagogues who work with children having language impairment: they could help in diagnosing phonological language impairments and creating the methodology of their adjustment. The methods and the results of the present dissertation might also become the basis for future scholarly research, analyzing the features of phonotactics acquisition of children with language impairment and/or bilingual/multilingual children. Structure of the Study The dissertation is comprised of the Introduction (Chapter 1) and four main parts. Chapter 2 ‘Phonology Acquisition’ focuses on the acquisition features of phonology and phonotactics. Chapter 3 ‘The Research on Children’s Language Using the Method of Non-word Repetition’ discusses the application of the non-word repetition test in foreign research and presents the methodology of the