ERIC Number: EJ777208
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004-Aug
Pages: 21
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0305-0009
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Available Date: N/A
The Acquisition of Relative Clause Comprehension in Hebrew: A Study of SLI and Normal Development
Friedmann, Naama; Novogrodsky, Rama
Journal of Child Language, v31 n3 p661-681 Aug 2004
Comprehension of relative clauses was assessed in 10 Hebrew-speaking school-age children with syntactic SLI and in two groups of younger children with normal language development. Comprehension of subject- and object-relatives was assessed using a binary sentence-picture matching task. The findings were that while Hebrew-speaking children with normal development comprehend right-branching object relatives around the age of 6;0, children with syntactic SLI are still at chance level in object relatives by age 11;0. The four-year-olds were also at chance on object relatives. Comprehension of subject relatives was good in the SLI group, similar to the six-year-olds, and significantly better than the four-year-olds. The syntactic impairment is interpreted as a selective deficit to non-canonical sentences that are derived by movement. [This research was supported by Adams Super Center for Brain Studies and by the Joint German-Israeli Research Program.]
Descriptors: Semitic Languages, Sentences, Speech Communication, Language Acquisition, Phrase Structure, Language Impairments, Uncommonly Taught Languages, Language Research, Syntax, Task Analysis, Age Differences
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
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Language: English
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