This term paper deals with the acquisition of English indefinite pronouns in First Language Learning. The centre of attention of my study will be the two major groups of indefinite pronouns that exist in English, specifically the compound indefinite pronouns and the indefinite of-pronouns which will be discussed in more detail in point 2 of this work.
My first thesis to prove is that children acquire compound indefinite pro-nouns later than of-pronouns. Due to the fact that children generally acquire simple forms earlier than complex ones, one can say that the first indefinite pronouns that children acquire are indefinite of-pronouns for the reason that they are much easier than complex indefinite pronouns because they consist of one morpheme only. My second thesis to examine refers to an observation by QUIRK et al. (1992: 378). They say that in Standard American and British English, compound indefinite pronouns ending in -one, are generally more frequently used in adult speech because they are more elegant. According to Quirk’s finding, I assume that indefinite pronouns ending in -one will be learned earlier than those ending in -body. Therefore, I will check this thesis with the help of data selected from the CHILDES database.
Table of Contents
1. Abstract
2. Something general on indefinite pronouns
3. Data and method
4. Results
4.1 A comparison of the subjects
4.2 Frequencies of indefinite pronouns
4.3 The acquisition of compound indefinite pronouns after indefinite of-pronouns
4.4 The acquisition of compound indefinite pronouns ending in -one and-body
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Core Themes
The primary objective of this study is to examine the acquisition of English indefinite pronouns in first language learning, specifically focusing on the developmental timeline of compound indefinite pronouns versus indefinite of-pronouns. Through the analysis of longitudinal data from the CHILDES database, the author investigates whether children acquire simpler forms before complex ones and whether the frequency of these pronouns in adult speech influences the age of acquisition for specific subsets, such as those ending in -one versus those ending in -body.
- Comparison of indefinite pronoun acquisition in child language development.
- Distinction between compound indefinite pronouns and indefinite of-pronouns.
- The impact of morphological complexity and semantic abstractness on acquisition.
- Syntactic function of indefinite pronouns as heads of relative clauses.
- Influence of parental input and frequency of use on child language production.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2 Frequencies of indefinite pronouns
The following two graphs show the percentage of Adam’s and Eve’s use of those indefinite pronouns I am interested in. The illustration makes clear how much percent of all indefinite pronouns uttered by the two children account for the indefinite pronoun somebody, to name only one. That allows seeing, which indefinite pronouns are the most frequent ones.
These two graphs demonstrate that particular indefinite pronouns are used more frequently in comparison to other indefinite pronouns. The indefinite compound pronouns somebody, something, nothing, and the of-pronouns some, all and one are the ones which are used most often of all other indefinite pronouns. Although the Eve-corpus provides much less data than the Adam-corpus, the results of both agree with each other. Just like Adam, Eve uses the indefinite pronouns somebody, something, some, all and one more than other indefinite pronouns. However, Eve does use nothing only once in her entire corpus. I think that there is a clear preference of indefinite pronouns expressing something positive. The children seem to use indefinite pronouns which convey negation, like for example anyone not as often as they use indefinite pronouns that communicate something positive, like something. One reason for that may be the fact that especially young children have quite a lot of needs which have to be satisfied. And when the child wants somebody to satisfy this need they ask for it.
Summary of Chapters
1. Abstract: Provides an overview of the thesis objectives, specifically the comparison between compound indefinite pronouns and of-pronouns, and introduces the methodology using CHILDES data.
2. Something general on indefinite pronouns: Defines pronouns within a grammatical framework and categorizes the different types of pronouns, highlighting the specific focus on indefinite pronouns.
3. Data and method: Describes the source of the research data, the children Adam and Eve, and explains the mathematical normalization used to compare usage frequencies across different file sizes.
4. Results: Presents the findings regarding the frequency and acquisition order of indefinite pronouns, comparing usage patterns between the children and their mothers.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes the study's findings, noting that the initial hypotheses were not fully supported and discussing the role of morphological complexity and semantic abstraction in language acquisition.
6. Bibliography: Lists the academic sources and the CHILDES database used for the research.
Keywords
First Language Learning, Indefinite Pronouns, Compound Indefinite Pronouns, Of-pronouns, CHILDES, Language Acquisition, Morphology, Syntax, Relative Clauses, Child Language, Frequency, Semantics, Adam, Eve, Linguistic Development
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the acquisition of English indefinite pronouns in children during the first language learning process.
Which specific pronoun groups are analyzed?
The study specifically examines compound indefinite pronouns (e.g., somebody, something) and indefinite of-pronouns (e.g., some of, many of).
What is the main research hypothesis?
The author tests two main theses: first, that children acquire of-pronouns before compound pronouns; and second, that pronouns ending in -one are learned earlier than those ending in -body due to their perceived elegance in adult speech.
How was the data collected for this study?
The research relies on longitudinal data from the CHILDES database, specifically transcripts from the children Adam and Eve.
What function do indefinite pronouns serve in complex sentences?
The author observes that these pronouns often function as the head of relative clauses, suggesting that children possess an early awareness of the semantic indefiniteness of these words.
How does morphological complexity influence acquisition?
The study suggests that pronouns containing concrete nouns (like -body or -thing) are acquired earlier than those involving more abstract or less concrete nominal morphemes (like -one).
Why did the study compare Adam and Eve?
Comparing the two children allows for a broader perspective on language development, accounting for variations in recording lengths and individual linguistic growth patterns.
Did the results confirm the author's initial theses?
No, the findings did not support the initial theses, as the data showed that the acquisition of different pronoun types often alternated and was heavily influenced by parental usage patterns.
- Quote paper
- Stefanie Warnke (Author), 2008, The acquisition of indefinite pronouns in English, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/122410
