Toddlers' Use of Verb Constructions in Hindi

Toddlers'' Use of Verb Constructions in Hindi takes a
comprehensive look at the processes by which children
extract structure and meaning from the particular
language they are learning to build up a more complex
grammar. Adopting a Usage-Based approach, this work,
examines children s productivity, that is their
ability to use a new verb in a construction in which
they have never
before heard it. It does so in a highly interactive
experimental design using both novel and familiar verbs.
Children s productivity in the experimental study is
then compared with their own verb use in everyday
play contexts with their caregivers as well as the
mothers verb use to discern patterns of individual
differences in language development. The findings of
the studies reported here seem to suggest that
languages with explicit markings for agent- patient
relations facilitate an earlier onset of productivity
than word-order languages like English. Productivity
is also greater when children hear verbs used in
diverse constructions by their caregivers.

Autorentext

Smita Srivastava is currently visiting Assistant Professor at Clark University. Her research focuses on language development in young Hindi-speaking children. Using a functionalist perspective she studies how children come to understand that different linguistic forms may serve different communicative functions.

Klappentext

Toddlers' Use of Verb Constructions in Hindi takes acomprehensive look at the processes by which childrenextract structure and meaning from the particularlanguage they are learning to build up a more complexgrammar. Adopting a Usage-Based approach, this work,examines children's productivity, that is theirability to use a new verb in a construction in whichthey have neverbefore heard it. It does so in a highly interactiveexperimental design using both novel and familiar verbs.Children's productivity in the experimental study isthen compared with their own verb use in everydayplay contexts with their caregivers as well as themothers' verb use to discern patterns of individualdifferences in language development. The findings ofthe studies reported here seem to suggest thatlanguages with explicit markings for agent- patientrelations facilitate an earlier onset of productivitythan word-order languages like English. Productivityis also greater when children hear verbs used indiverse constructions by their caregivers.