More general all-purpose verbs in children with specific language impairment? evidence from Greek for not fully lexical verbs in language development
Journal
Applied Psycholinguistics
Date Issued
March 2014
Author(s)
DOI
10.1017/S0142716414000034
Abstract
This paper addresses verbal performance and overuse of “not fully lexical verbs” by children with
specific language impairment (SLI) and peers with typical language development (TLD). Experimental
data come from picture-naming and retell narratives. Fourteen school-aged children with SLI (mean
age = 6 years, 9 months) participated alongside 50 language- and age-matched peers with TLD. The
results revealed that children with SLI do not use light verb constructions but only general all-purpose
(GAP) verbs when unable to produce single-word, specific lexical verbs. Moreover, they do not differ
from language-matched TLD children in this respect. As such, GAP verbs should be viewed as symptoms
of immature language or absent representations rather than impaired language. Consequently,
when discussing not fully lexical verbs productions in (a)typical development, researchers should
make the fundamental distinction between GAP verbs and light verbs, and focus on GAP verbs as the
relevant category in SLI.
specific language impairment (SLI) and peers with typical language development (TLD). Experimental
data come from picture-naming and retell narratives. Fourteen school-aged children with SLI (mean
age = 6 years, 9 months) participated alongside 50 language- and age-matched peers with TLD. The
results revealed that children with SLI do not use light verb constructions but only general all-purpose
(GAP) verbs when unable to produce single-word, specific lexical verbs. Moreover, they do not differ
from language-matched TLD children in this respect. As such, GAP verbs should be viewed as symptoms
of immature language or absent representations rather than impaired language. Consequently,
when discussing not fully lexical verbs productions in (a)typical development, researchers should
make the fundamental distinction between GAP verbs and light verbs, and focus on GAP verbs as the
relevant category in SLI.