Pace of early language development

[Philip Dale]

An interesting discussion, and I agree with Gisela that this issue may say
as much about societal and researcher concerns as it does about child
development. But a few psychometric and other thoughts:
1. High variance does not preclude a mean difference. It just means that the
mean difference will be harder to demonstrate, as it will require larger
samples for adequate statistical power.
2. A small mean difference may well have less practical meaning when the
variance is large - the same argument is often made with respect to sex
differences in language and other cognitive skills. But it may not. A small
shift in means of a normal distribution will have a much larger effect on
the number of individuals who are more extreme than a selected criterion
score. (This issue *also* comes up in discussions of sex differences.) 
3. Given the general tendency of scores to drift upwards on almost all
standardized tests (including the Bayley), the 'Flynn Effect', it is unlike
that there has been a genuine downward drift in language ability - but it
would be good to have real data on this.
4. A personal bet: I think if there is any change going on, it is more
likely to be with respect to what is sometimes called decontextualized
language use, sometimes Cognitive-Academic Language Proficiency, sometimes
other labels. That is, a particular pragmatic use of language which in some
sense doesn't come naturally, one that needs instruction and practice, and
is much stimulated by literacy. Given the diminished role of literacy in
children's lives - a demonstrable fact - this could be a real change. Of
course, data would be even better, but measures of DL/CALP are much more
recent so we don't have much of a basis yet.
 
Philip Dale
 

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From: info-childes at googlegroups.com [mailto:info-childes at googlegroups.com]
On Behalf Of Gisela Szagun
Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2009 8:38 AM
To: info-childes at googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Re: Pace of early language development


Dear colleagues,

not only has the enormous varibility in early language development been
demonstrated by the research cited by Lorraine, Katherine and Keith, but it
has by now been demonstrated in large representative sample of children
acquiring a variety of different languages in different cultures. So, it is
probably a true "universal" (as opposed to some postulated ones).

I tend to think that discussions about the "speeding up" or "deterioration"
of some or the other behavioural development may tell us more about
researchers and non-researchers in different countries than about children's
development. With respect to language development and in the absence of
really solid evidence over generations, i tend to see these discussions as
variations on two themes "in the old days everything was better" and "we are
getting better all the time". I can't see the evidence for either with
respect to children's language development. And I suppose we haven't reached
Johann Sebastian Bach's skills in variations on themes. He managed fugues
with three or four themes and variations on them - and it all fitted
together!

Regards,
Gisela



On Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 8:42 PM, Margaret Fleck <margaretmfleck at yahoo.com>
wrote:



I think the range of variation is one of those things that's obvious to
the parents and teachers "on the ground" and more difficult to
document in a way that convinces skeptics.   I don't think you have
to know very many kids socially before you run into examples of the
upper and lower ends of the range on language and other standard
toddler/preschool skills.    There also seems to be wide variation in
when kids learn other skills e.g. potty training, holding a fork well,
singing, climbing.

Margaret Fleck





	


	




-- 
Prof Gisela Szagun PhD BSc

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