Prosody, short-term memory and speed of item identification: An empirical study of language processing deficits in specifically language impaired children

Journal/Book: Sprache Kognit. 1996; 15: Langgass-Strasse 76, CH-3000 Bern 9, Switzerland. Verlag Hans Huber. 46-69.

Abstract: The study investigates the significance of the following cognitive restrictions that might impede language processing in specifically language impaired (SLI) children: (1) deficits in processing and using the rhythmic-prosodic structure of speech, (2) a reduced memory span for words and (3) a reduced speed of word recognition. 24 SLI children (mean age 6;5) and 16 younger normal-language (NL) children (mean age 5;2) were matched for their memory span for words as indicated by their ability to reproduce sentences with scrambled word order. Both groups of children were given a sentence imitation task. The sentences were presented either with normal or with monotone sentence prosody. As indicated by the reproduction data the SLI children were less efficient in using prosodic cues in sentence processing: although no significant differences between language groups could be established with respect to the reproduction of monotone sentences, differences showed up if prosodic sentences were considered. This holds although the SLI and the younger NL controls did not differ in word span or speed of word identification. The data pattern shows that the SLI children under study had deficits in all three variables investigated, the deficits in using the prosodic structure of speech being especially profound. In addition, the empirically well established deficits in word span and speed of item identification do not seem to be sufficient to account for the profound language learning problems of SLI children.

Note: Article S Weinert, Univ Bielefeld, Psychol ABT, Postfach 100131, D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany

Keyword(s): DISORDERED CHILDREN; YOUNG INFANTS; SPOKEN LANGUAGE; SPAN; ACQUISITION; INTONATION; PERCEPTION; IMITATION; CLAUSES; LENGTH

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