Language Sampling

What is the purpose of language sampling?

To provide information about a child’s use of natural language in a natural setting

What type of communication does language sampling help us to assess?

Functional communication

What type of test would we NOT use during a language sample, and why?

We would not use a standardized test, because those tests are very forced and rigid, and would not demonstrate a child’s natural use of language

What are the three other purposes of a language sample?

1) Determining a child’s ability at a given time

2) Documentation of progress with the current intervention (is the intervention working, do we need to shift, or has it officially treated the client and we can now stop?)

3) Research

What are language samples predominantly used for?

The five components of language (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics)

What are the six main points that a language sample must be/contain?

1) Valid

2) Reliable

3) Activity

4) Setting

5) Sample size

6) Child leads

What does it mean for a language sample to be valid?

Are we measuring what we intend to measure?

What does it mean if our sample is reliable?

Can these results be repeated? Is this a typical representation of the particular child that could be repeated next week

Activity (language sample)

We need to pick an activity that is age-appropriate and interesting to the child. Additionally, we need to limit the number of activities present so the child is not distracted

Setting (language sample)

We need to pick a setting that is appropriate for the particular client (Do they prefer to stand or sit? Is the caregiver present in the room, or not?)

What is the sample size goal for language sampling, and what is the minimum necessary?

The goal is 100 utterances, but this is not always possible, so we will take 50 utterances.

Define utterance

The words that are spoken to express a complete thought

Give an example of an utterance that a toddler might say vs a 5-year old

“Mama no”, and “My favorite food is pizza”

Why do we build rapport with a client, and how do we do this?

We spend time before the sample building a connection with the child so that they feel comfortable making decisions and leading the activities during the actual language sample. One way we can do this is by inviting the caregiver to play before the sample

What does it mean to let the child lead?

They child directs the activity they want to do, and we follow

What type of questions should we be asking the child throughout the language sample?

Open-ended questions

Why should we be asking open-ended questions to a child during a language sample?

It will lead to more natural language and more developed utterances rather than just “yes” or “no”

What are some examples of open-ended questions we could ask a child during a language sample?

“What do you think is going to happen?” “What will the girl do next?”

Why should we be commenting throughout the language sample?

To show that we are attending to their communicative intent?

Why do we want an audio of the language sample?

So we can accurately document our transcript exactly as the child says, and this way we can go back and check for accuracy

Why is it also helpful to include a video recording of the language sample?

So we can go back and look at the context in which the child said something

What is glossing?

When the SLP repeats what the child says back to them to ensure accuracy of the transcription

What are the pros to glossing?

It ensures an accurate transcription

What are the cons to glossing?

It can disturb the natural flow of language and if done too many times, it can be distracting to the child

What 3 components are included in the transcription

SLP, participant (child) and caregiver if necessary

How do we distinguish between the caregiver and SLP talking, since they share the same column?

We mark the beginning of the utterance with their first initial as a code

How do we separate each utterance?

Each utterance gets its own line on a transcript sheet

How do we transcribe run-on sentences

We break them up into choppier sentences and give each part their own line

How do we mark an unintelligible word?

XXX

If an utterance includes an unintelligible word (XXX), can we count the utterance?

NO

If a sample has 53 utterances but 3 utterances contain intelligible words (XXX), how many utterances do we actually have?

50 utterances

Morphosyntax combines what two things?

Morphology and syntax

How many morphemes did Brown identify as the first ones typically used by children

14

Which typically advances language in children first: morphology or syntax?

Morphology

Present progressive morpheme

-ing

Give an example of the present progressive morpheme in an utterance

She walking

What are the two early prepositional morphemes

“In” and “on”

Give an example of both prepositional morphemes in an utterance

Toy in box

Dolly on bed

Regular plural morpheme

-s

Give an example of the regular plural morpheme in an utterance

Dogs bark

Irregular past tense morpheme

Went

Give an example of the irregular past tense morpheme in an utterance

He went store

Possessive morpheme

-’s

Give an example of a possessive morpheme in an utterance

Mommy’s book

Uncontractible morpheme

Was

Uncontractible morpheme in an utterance

He was sick

Article morpheme

“A” and “the”

Article morpheme example in an utterance

Daddy drinking the milk

Regular past tense morpheme

-ed

Regular past tense morpheme example

She walked

Regular 3rd Person Singular morpheme

-s

Regular 3rd Person Singular morpheme example in utterance

She sings

Irregular 3rd Person Singular morpheme

Has

Irregular 3rd Person Singular morpheme example in utterance

Daddy has book

Uncontractible copula morpheme

Was

Uncontractible copula example in an utterance

He was reading

Contractible copula morpheme

-’s (is —> ‘s)

Contractible copula example in an utterance

He’s hungry

Contractible auxiliary

-’s (is + verb —> -’s + verb)

Contractible auxilary morpheme in an utterance

He’s eating

If the two segments of a contraction do NOT appear individually in the sample on their own, we count the whole contraction (can’t, won’t) as how many morphemes?

1

If one or both of the segments of the contraction appears in the sample, we count the contraction as how many morphemes?

2

What is a gerund

A verb that acts as a noun

What is an example of a gerund in a sentence

Dancing is good exercise

“Gonna, wanna, hafta” are all counted as how many morphemes?

1

“Horsey Kitty, Daddy, and Mommy” are all known as what kind of forms, and how many morphemes do they count as?

They are known as diminutive forms, and they count for one morpheme

Proper names of people, places, or things count as how many morphemes? (ex.: George Washington, New York City)

1

Learned reduplications of words such as “Night-night” or “bye-bye” count for how many morphemes?

1

Repetitions of words such as “I-I-I” count for how many morphemes?

1

Compound words such as cupcake or rainbow count as how many morphemes?

1

What are the inflected nouns that receive a morpheme count of two?

Plurals, possessives, and pronouns

Example of plurals, possessives, and pronouns that would receive 2 morphemes

Cats

Mom’s ____

Himself

Inflected verbs that would receive a morpheme count of 2

Present progressive (-ing)

Regular 3rd Person Singular (-s)

Regular Past Tense Verb (-ed)

Overgeneralized past tense (wanted)

What do we not count as morpheme?

Direct imitation of words, songs/rhymes (alphabet), false starts, noises/sounds, and “um”, “oh”, and “you know”

MLU measures what component of language?

Morphology

Type-Token Ratio measures what component of language?

Semantics

Semantic relation involves relationships between what things?

Agents, objects, actions, and subjects

What is the purpose of Type-Token Ratio?

To determine the diversity of a child’s lexicon (vocabulary)

What is the target population for Type-Token Ratio?

3-8 years

Type

The first time a word is repeated

Token

When a word is repeated in a sample and is marked by a slash

How do we calculate TTR?

Number of different words divided by the total number of words