Owens Ch. 7 Analyzing Language Samples at the Utterance Level

1. Owens � Ch. 7 Analyzing Language Samples at the Utterance Level Harold Johnson Michigan State University

2. P. 177 Three levels of analysis [table 7.1] Use Content Form Analysis of language use: Identification and understanding of the occurrence and causes of communication breakdowns P. 178 Table 7.2, listing of language analysis protocols, sorted via the linguistic focus Applicability of these protocols as used with students who do not reply upon spoken language... H. Johnson 2

3. Disruptions: Causes of communication breakdowns (CBs) �Disruptions tend to occur at the developing edge of the child�s language where production capacity is �stretched� and there�s increased risk of processing difficulty.� (pp. 178-179) = where a child�s communication attempt exceeds their current level of communication competence. = the more CBs, the fewer CBs that the individual repairs, the less communicative competence �Analysis requires that an SLP transcribe all words and word portions and all speechlike vocalizations. Pauses of 2 seconds or more also should be noted. Pauses should be obvious on a timed transcript format,...� (p. 179) How do you to this with individuals who do not rely solely upon spoken language? How do you fit such work into your inst. Work? = Observational Study H. Johnson 3

4. Intentions �At the individual utterance level, pragmatic analysis can describe the intentions expressed and understood.� (p. 179) = intentions: what you wanted/expected to happen �The range of intentions becomes wider and more complex with increasing age. In addition, with maturity, a child may express multiple intentions within a single utterance.� (p. 181) The older an individual becomes, the more they want/expect from a conversational exchange The more you want, the more language you need How can we get our students who are d/hh to want more? H. Johnson 4

5. Intentions (cont.) �A child developing typically will initiate conversation and reply to the initiations of the partner, seek information and provide it, ask for assistance, and volunteer information. In contrast, some children, such as those with ASD, may initiate communication only rarely and respond with minimal replies ( Loveland et al., 1988).� (p. 181) = increasingly effective in both accomplishing and responding to conversational tasks, e.g., Johnson Conversational Model H. Johnson 5

6. Illocutionary Functions of Children P. 182-183, Table 7.5 (+ table 7.6, p. 183) previously discussed on page 130-134 = �Illocutionary functions are the intentions of each utterance.� (p. 132), i.e., what the individual wants/expects to happen as a result of their utterance, statement, communicative behavior, e.g., Greeting Request for an object Request for an action Request for clarification Information on table 7.5 provided a rough age range when major illocutionary functions are typically developed. If an individual does not effectively use and understand the expected functions, it disrupts the �flow� of conversational exchanges and will very likely cause CBs. When hearing and Deaf individuals interact, they frequently miss, or misunderstand each other�s illocutionary functions. Why would this occur? How could you address this problem? H. Johnson 6

7. Intentions (cont.) �A child who responds inappropriately may not know the linguistic context and may need more contextual cues.� (p. 184) = the child does not know how to adjust their language to the context and/or how to �read� (understand) the contextual cues. How do we learn how to adjust our language to different contexts? How could you address this problem? �In general, a child with poor linguistic skills will rely on other means of communicating intentions. Although some very sophisticated information can be communicated nonlinguistically, as in the popularly named pregnant pause, less mature language users tend to depend on nonlinguistic and paralinguistic means more than do mature users.� = rely upon signals vs. symbols, i.e., concrete vs. abstract language/communicative behaviors Why would this occur? How can you address this problem? H. Johnson 7

8. Content �To know a word is to know more than just a definition. It means a child understands that word�s relationship to similar words of meaning and sound and to words of an opposite meaning and understands the semantic class into which the word can be placed.� (p. 184) = phonology: letter to sound relationship, e.g., what the letters �b� + �o� + �y� sound like when put together = morphology: base meaning of words + changes in word meaning via adding �bound morphemes,� e.g., �work� vs. �worked� = syntax: difference in meaning by the position/order of a word, e.g., �Paul� �Paul hit Tom� = Paul did something �Tom was hit by Paul� = Tom experienced something H. Johnson 8

9. Content (cont.) = Semantics: word meanings conveyed/understood via their use in a sentence, e.g., �A boy is hers to see you.� �The boy is here to see you.� �A� = I do not think you know who this is �The� = I think you know this individual �Vocabulary abilities are strongly related to reading comprehension...� (p. 185) Why? Reading is essentially a �decoding� process in which individuals infer meaning from the nonlinguistic (e.g., pictures, page lay out, fonts, etc.) and linguistic (words, word order, story/info org., etc.) information provided by the author. Words (vocabulary) knowledge constitute a key part of the decoding process. More words you know, the easier it is to infer meaning H. Johnson 9

10. Content (cont.) �Although children with LI and with LD usually do not have difficulty with referent-symbol tasks, such as those represented by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, they may have difficulties, with double meanings, abstract terms, synonyms, and nonliteral interpretation ( Seidenberg & Bernstein, 1986). In addition, the physical setting can be especially important for children with LI because they depend on the context for support. The child may understand a word only given certain physical situations or contexts.� (p. 185) = word knowledge more restricted, not �nuanced� How do YOU acquire a �nuanced� understanding of a word, e.g., �school� H. Johnson 10

11. Lexical Items Type-Token Ratio �The type- token ratio ( TTR) is the ratio of the number of different words to the total number of words. The number of different words ( NDW) in a sample of fixed length is strongly correlated with age and measures of semantic diversity ( J. Miller, 1991). (pp. 785-186) = the greater the range, number, diversity of appropriately used, different words, the better the language competence Why do we use different words, when one word will do? = convey more precise meanings How is such precision of meaning conveyed in ASl? = five components of a sign, �manner� is most powerful in relation to meaning nuances H. Johnson 11

12. Lexical Items (cont.) �Deictic terms, or terms that must be interpreted from the perspective of the speaker ( e. g., here, there, this, that, come, go), offer a special problem for the child with LI. The shifting reference that occurs with each speaker change contributes to the child�s difficulty. Children with LLD, ASD, or emotional disturbances may lack either the listener or speaker perspective. These children also may refer to themselves by name and may echo the utterances of others.� (p. 786) How are such shifting references noted in ASL? What nonverbal behaviors and verbal behaviors are used in spoken English to �cue� the listener when �deictic� terms are being used? Can students who are d/hh learn how to observe, understand and use such cues? How would you go about this? H. Johnson 12

13. Over-/Underextensions and Incorrect Word Usage �In general, meanings mature from the concrete, personal, experiential ones found in preschool children to the shared, conventional, abstract ones of adults.� (p. 187) =using words too little, or too frequently = using words in an unexpected manner, e.g., �I wish I could write as good as you. You know where to put paragraphs and how to use punctuality [ my italics] right.� (p. 187) H. Johnson 13

14. Over-/Underextensions and Incorrect Word Usage (cont.) �Some children use words incorrectly because they do not know the shared conventional definition. Others use word substitutions that are incorrect.� = child�s understanding of the word is different from that of others in their language community = if this difference in understanding causes consistent and frustrating communication breakdowns, then it become a focus of your language intervention work. If not, then focus on what is causing consistent and frustrating (for the student) communication breakdowns. H. Johnson 14

15. Style & Lexicon �Slang is a casual manner of spontaneous conversation among peers and is important for adolescents. Used appropriately, slang separates adolescents from children and adults and establishes group identity and solidarity...� (p. 187). Why do kids use slang? Do children who are D/d/hh use slang? How do these children learn slang? What happens when a child does not use slang terms correctly? What can you do to assist children in such contexts? H. Johnson 15

16. Word Relationships Semantic Categories �Semantic categories, such as agent, action, and location, are the earliest word classes children use.� (p. 188) Agent = who Action = did what Location = where = the meaning of a word as it is used with other words Concept of �metalinguistic knowledge,� i.e., the linguistic representation/name and use of sound, word, phrase, sentence, etc. = used by linguistic to understand and share their understanding with others Not used in conscious thought as language is used Can be useful by professionals in language analysis H. Johnson 16

17. Semantic Categories (cont.) p. 188-189, table 7.7 � �Semantic Categories� Will not be focusing on within this course I have not found the information to be particularly useful in my language work with students who are d/hh Figurative Language = nonliteral uses of a word �Examples include metaphors, similes, idioms, and proverbs. For the purposes of analysis, jokes and puns also can be considered figurative language. Figurative language occurs frequently in oral conversation and written texts and interpretation of idioms is highly correlated with reading ability.� (p. 190) Frequently used in class Cause of frequent misunderstandings by children who are d/hh Common �figures of speech� you use/hear? Why do we use such terms? How did you learn them? H. Johnson 17

18. Figurative Language (cont.) �Decomposable or analyzable idioms can be broken easily into their component parts. For example, pop the question...� (p. 190) �Nondecomposable idioms, such as kick the bucket, are difficult to break into components.� (p. 191) �In general, young children are better able to interpret decomposable idioms than nondecomposable. Third and fourth graders do equally well on both types in context. If no contextual information is available, these children also are better able to comprehend decomposable idioms ( Gibbs, 1991).� (p. 191) How would you determine if a student was having communication breakdowns concerning idioms? How did you learn such idioms? How would you go about helping children who experiencing consistent and significant communication breakdowns concerning idioms to �figure out� the meaning? H. Johnson 18

19. Word Finding = can not think of the word when you need it �... symptoms include frequent pauses, repetitions, circumlocutions, fillers, nonspecific words, frequent pronouns, and high usage of cliches and routinized expressions, such as you know...� (p. 191) How does this information relate to the information I presented in Chapter 6 concerning communication breakdown repair strategies? What do you do when you experience such a problem? How can you use �other-initiaited� repair strategies to assist your students with such problems? The better/deeper, more �connected� a word is learned, the easier it will be to recall. How do you help students to learn words/word meaning �better/deeper�? We will stop our review of this chapter on this page. H. Johnson 19