This methodological study in 33 two-year-olds shows that child speech
(total utterances, word roots, MLU) occurs at about the same level in
different settings (the familiar home vs. the unfamiliar laboratory), but
that children speak more and in more differentiated ways with different
people (mother vs. stranger). Child speech also shows significant short-
term stability. Girls use more different word roots and speak in longer
utterances than do boys. In spontaneous child speech, cross-context
generalizations appear warranted, but they also depend on conversational
partner and gender of child.