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Introducing information in dialogues: forms of introduction chosen by young speakers and the responses elicited from young listeners*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2009

Anne H. Anderson ,
Aileen Clark  and
James Mullin
Anne H. Anderson*
Affiliation:
University of Glasgow
Aileen Clark
Affiliation:
University of Glasgow
James Mullin
Affiliation:
University of Glasgow
*
H.C.R.C., Department of Psychology, University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
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Abstract

Young speakers in dialogue must establish mutual knowledge. Traditionally, researchers have focused on how children used indefinite and definite articles to signal novel and shared information. In this study of 170 children aged seven to thirteen, the form of introduction chosen, whether question or statement, is more significant than the type of article used. No developmental effects on article use emerge, with statement + indefinite always the least common choice. However, young speakers use question introductions significantly less than older children. There is also a developmental interaction between speakers' and listeners' behaviour. Question introduction elicit effective listener responses at all ages, but only twelve-year-olds respond reliably to statements. Unfortunately, young speakers prefer just those forms of introduction to which young listeners are least likely to provide informative feedback. Thus two separate developmental effects appear to combine to hamper young subjects' chances of achieving successful communication in dialogues.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 18 , Issue 3 , October 1991 , pp. 663 - 687
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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Footnotes

*

This research was supported by a grant from the Economic and Social Research Council (RCOO232458), and the researchers gratefully acknowledge their assistance. We thank the staff and pupils from the participating schools for their help in this study.

References

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