ERIC Number: EJ1079659
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Apr
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0142-7237
EISSN: N/A
The Development of Interrogative Forms and Functions in Early Childhood Cantonese
Li, Hui; Tse, Shek Kam; Sin Wong, Jessie Ming; Mei Wong, Eileen Chin; Leung, Shing On
First Language, v33 n2 p168-181 Apr 2013
This study investigated question acquisition in Cantonese-speaking young children with a focus on the development of interrogative forms and functions. Data from a child Cantonese corpus (492 children aged 36, 48 and 60 months) were analysed. The main results were that: (1) all the interrogative forms and functions were produced by the three age groups and no age difference was found; (2) significant gender differences in favour of females were found; and (3) a significant form-function preference was obtained, with "wh"- and multiple questions being primarily used to seek information, and "yes/no" and rising tone/echo questions being largely used to request action.
Descriptors: Language Acquisition, Sino Tibetan Languages, Information Seeking, Computational Linguistics, Gender Differences, Age Differences, Preferences, Questioning Techniques, Preschool Children, Kindergarten, Coding, Sentence Structure, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Kindergarten; Primary Education; Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: China
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A