ERIC Number: EJ1378088
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1547-5441
EISSN: EISSN-1547-3341
Available Date: N/A
Verbal and More: Multimodality in Adults' and Toddlers' Spontaneous Repetitions
Soler, Marta Casla; Murillo, Eva; Nieva, Silvia; Rodríguez, Jessica; Mendez-Cabezas, Celia; Rujas, Irene
Language Learning and Development, v19 n1 p16-33 2023
This study investigated verbal imitation from a multimodal point of view, considering the mutual influence of children's and adults' participation. Sixteen Spanish-speaking children were observed longitudinally at 21, 24, and 30 months of age in natural settings. We analyzed the multimodal characteristics of children's and adults' repetitions, considering whether they were verbal, verbal-gestural, or gestural. In addition, we also analyzed the multimodal characteristics of the utterances that were repeated (source). Measures of vocabulary and grammatical levels were also taken into account at the three points in development. Results showed that verbal-gestural repetitions were frequent in the speech of children and adults, although not as frequent as verbal repetitions. Nevertheless, verbal-gestural speech was reproduced more frequently than verbal speech. Adults were more likely to reproduce children's speech when it included gestures, which was also related to children's linguistic level. Furthermore, children and adults synchronize their multimodal communicative behaviors, coordinating the modality of their repetitions with the modality of the source speech. The results are discussed taking into account the need to study the multimodal characteristics of child-directed speech, as well as the need to study verbal repetition and multimodal communicative behaviors simultaneously, as forms of interaction that are essential to language development.
Descriptors: Adults, Toddlers, Verbal Communication, Nonverbal Communication, Repetition, Child Language, Interpersonal Relationship, Interpersonal Communication, Synchronous Communication, Language Acquisition, Spanish, Child Development, Measures (Individuals), Scores, Foreign Countries
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Spain (Madrid)
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Battelle Developmental Inventory
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A