Procedural Memory Deficits in Preschool Children with Developmental Language Disorder in a Spanish-Speaking Population.

This study aimed to compare procedural learning skills between Spanish-speaking preschool children (ages 4 years to 4 years, 11 months) with developmental language disorder (DLD) and their chronologically matched typically developing (TD) peers. Using the serial reaction time (SRT) task, participants (30 children with DLD and 30 TD children) responded to visual stimuli in a sequenced manner over four blocks, followed by a random order block. The task assessed reaction time (RT) and accuracy. The results showed a significant interaction between group and block for RT and accuracy, with children with DLD exhibiting longer RTs and accuracy deficits across blocks. In contrast, the TD group showed higher RT efficiency and accuracy in the sequential blocks and, as expected, decreased performance in the random block according to the experimental manipulation. Overall, the results of this investigation suggest that there was no implicit learning in the DLD group, as indicated by the SRT task paradigms of procedural memory. These findings align with some aspects of the procedural deficit hypothesis (PDH), which suggests that linguistic deficits in the DLD population may derive from a deficit in sequential learning from the procedural memory system domain in the Spanish context.

O lugar de enunciação de bebês em sofrimento psíquico e com desfechos distintos de linguagem aos dois anos / El lugar de la enunciación de bebés con angustia psicológica y con diferentes resultados del lenguaje a los dos años / The enunciation place of babies in psychological distress and with different language outcomes at two years old / La place de l'énonciation des bébés en détresse psychologique et aux issues langagières différentes à deux ans

Este artigo analisa a singularidade linguística e psíquica de dois bebês com desfecho de linguagem distintos aos dois anos. Para análise utilizou-se a entrevista inicial e continuada, os Indicadores Clínicos de Referência/Risco ao Desenvolvimento Infantil (IRDI), os Sinais Enunciativos de Aquisição da Linguagem (SEAL), além de filmagens da interação entre mãe e bebê. Os resultados indicaram que apenas um dos casos houve superação do sofrimento psíquico e atraso na linguagem a partir do segundo ano de vida. Tanto o exercício das funções parentais quanto as condições dos bebês são fatores importantes em sua constituição psíquica e linguística, o que traz reflexões interdisciplinares importantes acerca da singularidade na relação entre esses dois aspectos do desenvolvimento infantil

Este artículo analisa la unicidad lingüística y psíquica de dos bebés con un resultado distinto del lenguaje a los dos años. Para el análisis se utilizó la entrevista inicial y continuada, los Indicadores Clínicos de Referencia/Riesgo para el Desarrollo Infantil (IRDI), los Signos Enunciativos de Adquisición del Lenguaje (SEAL), así como imágenes de la interacción entre madre y bebé. Los resultados indicaron que solo uno de los casos había superado la angustia psicológica y el retraso del lenguaje a partir del segundo año de vida. Tanto el ejercicio de las funciones parentales como las condiciones de los bebés son factores importantes en su constitución psíquica y lingüística, lo que trae importantes reflexiones interdisciplinarias sobre la singularidad de la relación entre estos dos aspectos del desarrollo infantil

This article seeks to investigate the linguistic and psychic uniqueness of two babies with distinct language outcome at two years. For analysis, the initial and continued interview, the Clinical Indicators of Reference/Risk to Child Development (IRCD), the Enunciative Signs of Language Acquisition (SEAL) were used, as well as footage of the interaction between mother and baby. The results indicated that only one of the cases had overcome psychological distress and language delay from the second year of life. Both the exercise of parental functions and the conditions of babies are important factors in their psychic and linguistic constitution, which brings important interdisciplinary reflections on the uniqueness in the relationship between these two aspects of child development

Cet article cherche à enquêter sur l'unicité linguistique et psychique de deux bébés, en considérant les axes structurels de la constitution du psychisme et la participation de la mère et du bébé dans les protoconversations initiales. Pour l'analyse, l'entretien initial et continu, les indicateurs cliniques de référence/risque pour le développement de l'enfant (IRDE), les signes énonciatifs de l'acquisition du langage (SEAL) ont été utilisés, ainsi que des images de l'interaction entre la mère et le bébé. Les résultats ont indiqué qu'um seul des cas avait surmonté une détresse psychologique et un retard de langage dès la deuxième année de vie. Tant l'exercice des fonctions parentales que les conditions des bébés sont des facteurs importants dans leur constitution psychique et linguistique, ce qui amène d'importantes réflexions interdisciplinaires sur le caractère unique de la relation entre ces deux aspects du développement del'enfant

Effects of Combined Movement and Storytelling Intervention on Fundamental Motor Skills, Language Development and Physical Activity Level in Children Aged 3 to 6 Years: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study protocol aims to analyze and compare the effects of combined movement and storytelling intervention (CMSI) on fundamental motor skills (locomotor skills and object control), language development (language comprehension, language expression, vocabulary and language description), and physical activity levels (light intensity, moderate-to-vigorous intensity and sedentary time) in children aged 3 to 6 years. The sample will consist of 144 children from 12 class groups, randomly assigned to 3 experimental groups (n = 72 children) and 3 control groups (n = 72 children), belonging to 4 class groups of upper-middle-level classes (2 experimental and 2 control; 3 to 4 years), 4 transition level 1 classes (2 experimental and 2 control; 4 to 5 years) and 4 transition level 2 classes (2 experimental and 2 control; 5 to 6 years). The experimental groups will perform CMSI for 3 sessions per week (40 min per session) over 12 weeks (using one motor story per week), while the control groups will not receive any treatment. The main outcome will provide information about fundamental motor skills, language development, and physical activity levels. Our hypothesis indicates that CMSI has the potential to generate significant increases in selected assessments. If this intervention proves to be beneficial, it could contribute to preschool and school curricula.

Effect of biomedical complications on very and extremely preterm children's language.

Introduction: Very and extremely preterm children have been found to show delays in the development of language in early years. In some investigations, however, a rigorous control of biomedical complications, such as Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL), Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH) or Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD), does not always exist. For that reason, a confounding effect of low gestational age and biomedical complications may lead to erroneous conclusions about the effect of gestational age. Methods: In this investigation we compare language development [use of words, sentence complexity and mean length of the three longest utterances (MLU3)] of three groups of Chilean children at 24 months of age (corrected age for preterm children). The first group was composed of 42 healthy full-term children (Full term group: FT), the second group of 60 preterm children born below 32 gestational weeks without medical complications (low risk preterm group: LRPT), and the third group was composed of 64 children below 32 gestational weeks who had medical complications (High risk preterm group: HRPT). The three groups were similar in terms of gender distribution, maternal education, and socio-economic environment. The instrument used to assess language was the Communicative Development Inventories (CDI). In addition, the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 (ASQ-3) was also used to assess other developmental dimensions. Results: The results indicate that HRPT and LRPT children obtained significantly lower results than the FT group in the three language measures obtained through the CDI. No significant differences were observed between the HRPT and the LRPT groups, although the HRPT obtained the lowest results in the three CDI measures. The results obtained through the administration of the ASQ-3 confirm the delay of both preterm groups in communicative development when compared to the FT group. No significant differences between the FT and the PT groups were observed in gross motor, fine motor and problem solving dimensions of the ASQ-3. The LRPT group obtained results that were significantly higher than those of the FT group and the HRPT group in gross motor development. Discussion: These results seem to indicate that the area of language development is particularly influenced by very or extremely low gestational age.

O lugar de enunciação de dois bebês com sofrimento psíquico e atraso de linguagem / El lugar de enunciación de dos bebés con sufrimiento psicológicoy retrasodel lenguaje / The place of enunciation of two babies with psychologicaldistress and language delay / Le lieu d'énonciation de deux bébés souffrant de détresse psychologique et deretard du langage

Este artigo analisa a singularidade linguística e psíquica de dois bebês, com desfecho de linguagem distintos, aos dois anos. Para análise, utilizaram-se a entrevista inicial e continuada, os Indicadores Clínicos de Referência/Risco ao Desenvolvimento Infantil (IRDI), os Sinais Enunciativos de Aquisição da Linguagem (SEAL), além de filmagens da interação entre mãe e bebê. Os resultados indicaram que em apenas um dos casos houve superação do sofrimento psíquico e atraso na linguagem a partir do segundo ano de vida. Tanto o exercício das funções parentais quanto às condições dos bebês são fatores importantes em sua constituição psíquica e linguística, o que traz reflexões interdisciplinares importantes acerca da singularidade na relação entre esses dois aspectos do desenvolvimento infantil

Este artículo analiza la unicidad lingüística y psíquica de dos bebés con un resultado distinto del lenguaje a los dos años. Para el análisis se utilizó la entrevista inicial y continuada, los Indicadores Clínicos de Referencia/Riesgo para el Desarrollo Infantil (IRDI), los Signos Enunciativos de Adquisición del Lenguaje (SEAL), así como imágenes de la interacción entre madre y bebé. Los resultados indicaron que solo uno de los casos había superado la angustia psicológica y el retraso del lenguaje a partir del segundo año de vida. Tanto el ejercicio de las funciones parentales como las condiciones de los bebés son factores importantes en su constitución psíquica y lingüística, lo que trae importantes reflexiones interdisciplinarias sobre la singularidad de la relación entre estos dos aspectos del desarrollo infantil.

This article seeks to investigate the linguistic and psychic uniqueness of two babies with distinct language outcome at two years. For analysis, the initial and continued interview, the Clinical Indicators of Reference/Risk to Child Development (IRCD), the Enunciative Signs of Language Acquisition (SEAL) were used, as well as footage of the interaction between mother and baby. The results indicated that only one of the cases had overcome psychological distress and language delay from the second year of life. Both the exercise of parental functions and the conditions of babies are important factors in their psychic and linguistic constitution, which brings important interdisciplinary reflections on the uniqueness in the relationship between these two aspects of child development

Cet article cherche à enquêter sur l'unicité linguistique et psychique de deux bébés, en considérant les axes structurels de la constitution du psychisme et la participation de la mère et du bébé dans les protoconversations initiales. Pour l'analyse, l'entretien initial et continu, les indicateurs cliniques de référence/risque pour le développement de l'enfant (IRDE), les signes énonciatifs de l'acquisition du langage (SEAL) ont été utilisés, ainsi que des images de l'interaction entre la mère et le bébé. Les résultats ont indiqué qu'un seuldes cas avait surmonté une détresse psychologique et un retard de langage dès la deuxième année de vie. Tant l'exercice des fonctions parentales que les conditions des bébés sont des facteurs importants dans leur constitution psychique et linguistique, cequi amène d'importantes réflexions interdisciplinaires sur le caractère unique de la relation entre ces deux aspects du développement de l'enfant

Cada Criança é uma: Histórias de Desenvolvimento e Aquisição da Linguagem / Every Child is Unique: Stories of Development and Language Acquisition

RESUMO: O objetivo deste artigo é caracterizar a variabilidade das formas de aquisição da linguagem e analisar os meios de produção verbal, focalizando o papel da interação social. Na contramão de um modelo pautado na descrição de ausências, sintomas e desvios, adotou-se um ponto de vista dinâmico e processual na investigação da linguagem, considerando o sujeito, a sua história, seu meio social e sua condição de desenvolvimento. A pesquisa consistiu no seguimento de cinco crianças com idades entre dois e quatro anos, com queixas relacionadas à aquisição da fala. As sessões foram gravadas em vídeo e os dados foram construídos a partir da descrição do processo aquisicional envolvendo a produção das crianças em situações clínicas. Observou-se que os processos de aquisição da linguagem são entrelaçados com a história de constituição da singularidade dos sujeitos, e que os diversos fatores de caráter orgânico, psíquico e social incidem na trama do desenvolvimento linguístico e na formação da personalidade. Nas análises, chama-se atenção para o mosaico de recursos comunicacionais que se confgura ao confrontarem-se os casos e examinarem-se os componentes aquisicionais que se differenciam e se assemelham. Verificou-se que, para além de alterações de linguagem, se faz necessário focalizar os usos peculiares de recursos da linguagem.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this paper is to characterize the variability in the forms of language acquisition and to analyze the means of verbal production, focusing on the role of social interaction. As opposed to a model based on the description of absences, symptoms, and deviations, we have adopted a dynamic and procedural point of view in the investigation of language, considering the subject, their history, social environment and development condition. The research consisted in the follow-up of fve children aged two to four years with indications related to speech acquisition. The sessions were video-recorded, and the data were constructed based on the description of the acquisition process involving the production of children in a clinical context. We have perceived that language acquisition processes are intertwined with the account in the constitution of singularity of the subjects, and that various organic, psychic, and social factors affect language development and personality formation. In the analyses, we draw attention to the mosaic of communicational resources that is revealed when we confront the cases and examine the acquisition components that are different from each other and that are similar. We have found that, in addition to language alterations, it is necessary to focus on the peculiar uses of language resources.

Validação de conteúdo e de construto de sinais enunciativos de aquisição da linguagem no segundo ano de vida / Content and construct validation of language acquisition enunciative signs in the second year of life

RESUMO Objetivo Analisar a validade de conteúdo e de construto de sinais enunciativos de aquisição da linguagem para crianças de 13 a 24 meses. Método Os sinais criados foram submetidos à avaliação de clareza e pertinência por seis juízes experts em aquisição da linguagem na perspectiva enunciativa. A partir do seu julgamento foi produzida uma versão experimental que foi aplicada na análise de vídeos de interações mãe-bebê/examinador, com duração de 15 minutos, de 77 díades mãe-bebê na faixa etária de 13 a 18 meses e 89 díades na faixa etária de 19 a 24 meses. A validação de fidedignidade e consistência interna foi realizada pela análise de 10% da mostra por dois juízes fonoaudiólogos. A validação do construto foi realiza pela análise fatorial efetivada sobre a amostra total. Os dados foram analisados no Statistica 9.1 e PASW 17.0. Resultados Todos os sinais foram considerados claros e pertinentes pelos juízes experts. A análise de fidedignidade apontou a concordância quase perfeita (0,8 ≤ Kappa ≥ 1,0) para a maior parte dos sinais. A consistência interna para a Fase 3 apresentou alpha=0,771 considerada alta e Fase 4 apresentou alpha=0,917 limítrofe a muita alta. A análise fatorial da fase 3 revelou 2 fatores, explicando 59,1% da variância total e a fase 4 revelou 1 fator, explicando 75,7%. Conclusão Observou-se validade de conteúdo e de construto para cinco dos doze sinais na Fase 3 e para todos sinais na fase 4.

ABSTRACT Purpose To analyze the content and construct validity of enunciative signs of language acquisition for children aged 13 to 24 months. Methods The signs created were subjected to an assessment of clarity and relevance by six expert judges in language acquisition from an enunciative perspective. Based on their judgment, an experimental version was produced that was applied to the analysis of videos of mother-baby / examiner interactions, lasting 15 minutes, of 77 mother-baby dyads aged 13 to 18 months and 89 dyads in the age range aged between 19 and 24 months. The validity of reliability and internal consistency was performed by analyzing 10% of the sample by two speech therapists. The construct validation was carried out by the factorial analysis carried out on the total sample. The data were analyzed in Statistica 9.1 and PASW 17.0. Results All signs were considered clear and relevant by the expert judges. The reliability analysis showed an almost perfect agreement (0.8 ≤ Kappa ≥ 1.0) for most signs. The internal consistency for Phase 3 showed alpha = 0.771 considered high and Phase 4 presented alpha = 0.917 bordering on very high. The factor analysis of phase 3 revealed 2 factors, explaining 59.1% of the total variance and phase 4 revealed 1 factor, explaining 75.7%. Conclusion Content and construct validity were observed for five of the twelve signs in Phase 3 and for all signs in Phase 4.

Learning a foreign language: Effects of tact and listener instruction on the emergence of bidirectional intraverbals.

We evaluated the effects of tact and listener instruction on the emergence of bidirectional intraverbal relations with 6 typically developing Brazilian children, using an adapted alternating treatment design with pretest and posttest probes. In listener instruction, participants selected pictures that corresponded to spoken foreign-language words. For tact instruction, children had to vocalize foreign words in the presence of the corresponding pictures. After meeting mastery criteria, bidirectional intraverbal tests assessed vocalizations in Portuguese (native language) following the presentation of the equivalent words in English (foreign language) and vice versa. Tact instruction consistently produced higher levels of emergent intraverbal responding compared to listener instruction, confirming results from previous studies.

Construct validation of enunciative signs of language acquisition for the first year of life / Validação de construção de sinais enunciativos de aquisição da linguagem no primeiro ano

ABSTRACT Purpose: To perform the construct validation of enunciative signs of language acquisition for children aged 3 to 12 months. Method: The study sample consisted of 94 mother-infant dyads for the analysis of Phase 1 (3-6 months) signs and 61 dyads for the analysis of Phase 2 (7-12 months) signs. Data collection was performed through analysis of the interaction between mothers and infants in play situation recorded in 15-min videos in the predicted phases, with attribution of value types of present or absent to each sign analyzed. The collected data were organized on a spreadsheet and then converted to computer applications for factor analysis. Results: Factor analysis indicated the existence of two factors named "mother" and "infant" both for Phase 1 signs (explaining 71.9% of the variation) - with three signs relevant for the "infant" factor and one sign relevant for the "mother" factor, and for Phase 2 signs (explaining 74.4% of the variation) - with one sign relevant for the "infant" factor and one sign relevant for the "mother" factor. Conclusion: Construct validation showed that one "mother" factor and one "infant" factor were able to distinguish between at-risk and not-at-risk groups in both phases analyzed, which suggests that the absence of these signs may pose risks to language acquisition.

RESUMO Objetivo: Realizar a validação de construção dos Sinais Enunciativos de Aquisição da Linguagem para crianças de 3 a 12 meses. Método: A amostra contou com 94 díades de mãe-bebê para análise dos sinais da fase 1 (3 a 6 meses) e 61 díades para análise dos sinais da fase 2 (7 a 12 meses). A coleta de dados ocorreu por meio da análise da interação entre mães e bebês em situação lúdica gravada em vídeo nas fases previstas, com atribuição de valor do tipo presente ou ausente a cada sinal analisado em cada fase. Os dados foram organizados em planilha e convertidos para aplicação de software para análise factorial. Resultados: A análise factorial indicou a existência de dois fatores nomeados "da mãe" e "da criança" na análise da fase 1 dos sinais (explicando 71,9% da variação total), com três sinais relevantes para o fator "da criança" e um sinal relevante para o fator "da mãe", com relação à fase 2 (explicando 74,4% da variação total), um sinal foi relevante para o fator "da criança" e um para o fator "da mãe". Conclusão: A validação de construção demonstrou que um fator materno e um fator da criança foram hábeis para distinguir grupos de risco e não risco em ambas as fases analisadas, o que sugere que a ausência desses sinais pode indicar risco à aquisição da linguagem.

Survey data of English teachers' beliefs about second language instruction in Chile.

The data derives from a survey collected from 543 school-level teachers of English in Chile. The survey was originally distributed to 5435 teachers. The survey was developed with an aim of exploring teachers' beliefs about how second language grammar should be taught. The survey consisted of 50 items in total, in four sections: (a) background information (10 items), (b) beliefs regarding L2 learning and teaching (9 items), (c) beliefs regarding grammar instruction (23 items), and (d) classroom realities (8 items). Except for the background information section, the items took the form of a 6-point Likert scale. The entire dataset is included in an Excel file (.xlsx). The entire questionnaire is included as a supplementary file. The data is connected to the theoretical models proposed in [1]. In [1], those models were proposed based on descriptive statistics (e.g., agreement/disagreement rates) and focus-group interview data. Subsequently, in the current paper, the data was submitted to structural equation modelling to explain the theoretical models. Then, the data is visually depicted with figures created via AMOS.

Odontoeducación: Cambio de paradigma en la odontopediatría / Odontoeducação: Mudança de paradigma na odontopediatria / Odontoeducation: Change of paradigm in pediatric dentistry

Este artículo trata del lenguaje utilizado frente al niño sin importar el grupo de edad en que él se encuentre, para definir lo que es la enfermedad caries y cómo se forma. El lenguaje está distorsionado, es fantasioso en cuanto a la inducción al miedo, terror del proceso que ocurre en la boca, con los dientes hasta llegar a la formación de lesiones de caries. A través de investigación en el área de Odontología Infantil se observó que el lenguaje preconizado hasta el momento por los familiares, escuelas, consultorio de odontología infantil, no atienden la visión del hombre actual.

This article deals with the language used in front of the child, regardless of the age group, in order to define what dental caries is and how it is formed. Language is distorted, fanciful as to the induction to fear, terror of the process that occurs in the mouth, with the teeth until the formation of lesions of caries. Through research in the field of Child Dentistry, it was observed that the language advocated up to the present moment by family members, schools, and a child dentistry office, no longer meet the vision of the present man.

Este artigo trata da linguagem utilizada frente à criança não importando a faixa etária em que ela se encontra, para definir o que é a doença cárie e como ela se forma. Linguagem esta deturpada, fantasiosa quanto à indução ao medo, terror do processo que ocorre na boca, com os dentes até chegar à formação da cárie. Através de pesquisa na área de Odontologia Infantil observou-se que a linguagem preconizada até o presente momento pelos familiares, escolas, consultório de odontologia infantil, não atendem mais a visão do homem atual.

The Development of English and Spanish Among Children in Immigrant Families in the United States.

The variable language skills of children from immigrant families create challenges for families, teachers, and policy makers. A first step toward meeting those challenges is to understand the factors that influence language development in children who hear a language other than the country's majority language at home. We present findings from analyses of longitudinal data on children in immigrant families in the United States that contribute to that understanding. Our findings support four broad conclusions: (1) Children who are exposed to two languages simultaneously will lag behind monolingual children in their rates of single language growth. This is the normal result of distributed language exposure. (2) Language exposure provided by native speakers is more supportive of language growth than exposure provided by nonnative speakers. Therefore, immigrant parents should be encouraged to interact with their children in the language that allows the richest, most meaningful conversations, not necessarily in the majority language. (3) Preschool attendance does not always provide support for majority language skill. Attention needs to be paid to the quality of language support provided in preschool classrooms if they are to benefit language growth. (4) Acquiring the heritage language does not interfere with acquiring the majority language. Rather, it is heritage language acquisition that is vulnerable.

Las habilidades variables del lenguaje en niños de familias inmigrantes crean desafíos para las familias, profesores y actores políticos. Un primer paso para acercarse a estos desafíos, es entender los factores que influencian el desarrollo de lenguaje en niños que escuchan un lenguaje distinto al del país de residencia en sus hogares. En este artículo presentamos hallazgos de análisis longitudinales sobre datos de niños de familias inmigrantes en los Estados Unidos que contribuye al entendimiento de estos desafíos. Nuestros hallazgos muestran cuatro grandes conclusiones: (1) Los niños que están expuestos a dos lenguajes simultáneamente presentan un desfase con respecto a los niños monolingües respecto a los índices de crecimiento de uno de los idiomas. Este es el resultado normal de una exposición al lenguaje de manera distribuida. (2) La exposición al lenguaje proporcionada por los hablantes nativos es de mayor apoyo al desarrollo del lenguaje que la exposición proporcionada por hablantes no-nativos. Es por eso, que los padres inmigrantes deben ser alentados a interactuar con sus hijos en el lenguaje que permita intercambios significativos y abundantes en conversaciones, no necesariamente en el idioma de la mayoría. (3) La asistencia a cursos preescolares no siempre ofrece apoyo hacia las habilidades del lenguaje. Se necesita prestar atención a la calidad del apoyo del lenguaje que se proporciona en las aulas del preescolar si estas presentan beneficios al desarrollo del lenguaje. (4) Adquirir el idioma heredado no interfiere con la adquisición del idioma mayoritario, más bien, la adquisición del idioma heredado es el que se encuentra vulnerable.

Agarra, agarran: Evidence of early comprehension of subject-verb agreement in Spanish.

Studies across many languages (e.g., Dutch, English, Farsi, Spanish, Xhosa) have failed to show early acquisition of subject-verb (SV) agreement, whereas recent studies on French reveal acquisition by 30months of age. Using a similar procedure as in previous French studies, the current study evaluated whether earlier comprehension of SV agreement in (Mexican) Spanish can be revealed when task demands are lowered. Two experiments using a touch-screen pointing task tested comprehension of SV agreement by monolingual Spanish-speaking children growing up in Mexico City between about 3 and 5years of age. In Experiment 1, the auditory stimuli consisted of a transitive verb+pseudonoun object (e.g., agarra el micho 'he throws the micho' vs. agarran el duco 'they throw the duco'); results failed to show early comprehension of SV agreement, replicating previous findings. In Experiment 2, the same stimuli were used, with the crucial difference that the word objeto 'object' replaced all pseudonouns; results revealed SV agreement comprehension as early as 41 to 50months. Taken together, our findings show that comprehension at this age is facilitated when task demands are lowered, here by not requiring children to process pseudowords (even when these were not critical to the task). Hence, these findings underscore the importance of task-specific/stimulus-specific features when testing early morphosyntactic development and suggest that previous results may have underestimated Spanish-speaking children's competence.

Consequências da Aquisição Tardia da Língua Brasileira de Sinais na Compreensão Leitora da Língua Portuguesa, como Segunda Língua, em Sujeitos Surdos / Consequences of Late Acquisition of Brazilian Sign Language on Reading Comprehension of the Portuguese Language as a Second Language for Deaf People

Este artigo investigou sobre as consequências da aquisição da língua de sinais tardiamente na compreensão leitora em língua portuguesa como segunda língua por parte de surdos sinalizantes da língua brasileira de sinais. Para visualizar tais consequências, aplicou-se um teste de compreensão de língua de sinais, retirado do material Instrumento de Avaliação da Língua de Sinais (IALS), e um teste de compreensão leitora de língua portuguesa adaptado do Programa Internacional de Avaliação de Estudantes (PISA). Participaram deste estudo cinco surdos de nascença do sexo masculino, com idades de 19 a 41 anos e com diferentes idades de aquisição da língua de sinais. Os resultados apontaram como principal consequência a falta de estratégias para identificar a ideia principal do texto. Demonstraram também que apesar do fator idade de aquisição da língua de sinais interferir bastante na compreensão leitora da língua portuguesa, há outros fatores a considerar como: o contato com outros surdos que sejam fluentes, o apoio e motivação por parte da família no uso das duas línguas (Libras e Língua Portuguesa), a presença da língua de sinais durante a trajetória escolar, bem como metodologias de ensino de língua portuguesa que auxiliem os surdos a descobrir suas próprias estratégias de construção de sentido e ainda os fazerem detectar as diferenças de modalidade das línguas produzidas, bem como as particularidades de cada língua envolvida e ainda, o que é comum a ambas as línguas.

This paper investigated the consequences of late acquisition of sign language on reading comprehension of the Portuguese language as a second language by deaf who sign in Brazilian Sign Language. In order to look at the consequences, we applied a sign language comprehension test, taken from the Assessment Instrument materials of sign language (IALS), and Portuguese reading comprehension test adapted from the Portuguese Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). The participants were five people who were deaf from birth, males aged 19-41 years, who had acquired sign language at different ages. The results showed that the main consequence was a lack of strategies for identifying the main idea of the text. The results also showed that despite the factor of age of acquisition of sign language greatly interfering reading comprehension of Portuguese, there are other factors to consider, such as: contact with other deaf people who are fluent, support and motivation from family in the use of the two languages (Libras and Portuguese), the presence of sign language during school life. Another consideration are methodologies for teaching the Portuguese language in order to assist deaf people in discovering their own strategies for constructing meaning as well as showing them how to detect differences that occur in different language modes, and the singularities of each language involved and what is common to both languages.

The hemodynamic response to acoustically modified syllables in premature and full term newborn infants acquired by near infrared spectroscopy / Respuesta hemodinámica a sílabas modificadas acústicamente en recién nacidos prematuros y a término adquirida por espectroscopía del infrarrojo cercano / Resposta hemodinâmica a sílabas modificadas acusticamente em recém-nascidos prematuros e a termo adquirida por espectroscopia do infravermelho próximo

This research assesses, in newborns, the hemodynamic response to acoustically modified syllables (pronounced in a prolonged manner), versus the response to unmodified syllables (pronounced at a normal rate). The aim was to assess which of these stimulation conditions produced better syllable discrimination in two groups of neonates: 13 preterm (mean gestational age 30 weeks, SD 3 weeks), and 13 full term newborns (mean age 38 weeks, SD 1 week). Syllable discrimination, in each condition, was assessed by using an oddball paradigm (equal syllable trials vs. different syllable trials). The statistical analysis was based on the comparison between the hemodynamic response [oxyHbO] obtained by Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) to different syllable trials vs. equal syllable trials, in each condition. The modified syllable condition was better in producing trial discrimination in both groups. The amplitude of the hemodynamic response to the different syllable trials was greater than the one to the equal syllable trials: for term infants, t = 2.59, p = 0.024, and for preterm t = 2.38, p = 0.035. This finding occurred in the left temporal lobe. These data suggest that the modified syllables facilitate processing of phonemes from birth.

Esta investigación evalúa, en neonatos, la respuesta hemodinámica ante sílabas modificadas acústicamente (pronunciadas de manera prolongada) en comparación con la respuesta a sílabas no modificadas (pronunciadas a una velocidad normal). El objetivo fue evaluar cuál de estas condiciones de estimulación producía una mejor discriminación silábica en dos grupos de neonatos: 13 prematuros (edad gestacional promedio de 30 semanas, DE 3 semanas) y 13 nacidos a término (edad gestacional promedio de 38 semanas, DE 1 semana). La discriminación de sílabas, en cada condición, se evaluó mediante un paradigma oddball (ensayos con sílabas iguales vs. ensayos con sílaba diferente). El análisis estadístico se basó en la comparación de la respuesta hemodinámica [oxyHb] obtenida por espectroscopia de infrarrojo cercano (NIRS) ante ensayos con sílabas iguales Vs. ensayos con una sílaba diferente en cada condición. Se encontró que la condición de sílabas modificadas obtuvo mejores resultados para la discriminación entre ensayos en ambos grupos. La amplitud de la respuesta hemodinámica ante el ensayo con una sílaba diferente fue significativamente mayor que ante el ensayo con sílabas iguales: en recién nacidos a término, t = 2,59, p = 0,024 y en los prematuros, t = 2,38, p = 0,035. Este hallazgo ocurrió en el lóbulo temporal izquierdo. Estos datos sugieren que las sílabas modificadas facilitan el procesamiento de fonemas desde el nacimiento.

Esta pesquisa avalia, em neonatos, a resposta hemodinâmica diante sílabas modificadas acusticamente (pronunciadas de maneira prolongada) em comparação com a resposta a sílabas não modificadas (pronunciadas a uma velocidade normal). O objetivo foi avaliar qual destas condições de estimulação produzia uma melhor discriminação silábica em dois grupos de neonatos: 13 prematuros (idade gestacional média de 30 semanas, DE 3 semanas) e 13 nascidos a termo (idade gestacional média de 38 semanas, DE 1 semana). A discriminação de sílabas, em cada condição, foi avaliada mediante um paradigma oddball (ensaios com sílabas iguais vs. ensaios com sílaba diferente). A análise estadística se baseou na comparação da resposta hemodinâmica [oxyHb] obtida por espectroscopia de infravermelho próximo (NIRS) ante ensaios com sílabas iguais Vs. ensaios com uma sílaba diferente em cada condição. Encontrou-se que a condição de sílabas modificadas obteve melhores resultados para a discriminação entre ensaios em ambos os grupos. A amplitude da resposta hemodinâmica ante o ensaio com uma sílaba diferente foi significativamente maior que perante o ensaio com sílabas iguais: em recém-nascidos a termo, t = 2,59, p = 0,024 e nos prematuros, t = 2,38, p = 0,035. Este descobrimento ocorreu no lóbulo temporal esquerdo. Estes dados sugerem que as sílabas modificadas facilitam o processamento de fonemas desde o nascimento.

Métodos experimentales de estudio de la percepción temprana del habla / Métodos experimentais de estudo da percepção precoce da fala / Experimental study techniques for the early speech perception

El estudio de la percepción temprana del habla surgió a comienzos de la década de los setenta, pero solo se desarrolló plenamente diez años después, debido a la aparición y adaptación de nuevos métodos empíricos y herramientas tecnológicas. En este artículo se presenta una revisión de los métodos experimentales que pueden ser utilizados para el estudio de la percepción del habla en niños menores de un año. También se refieren algunas de las conclusiones teóricas más relevantes que se han alcanzado gracias a su aplicación. Se pretende brindar un panorama delestado metodológico y teórico del estudio de la percepción del lenguaje hablado durante el primer año de vida...

The early speech perception began to be studied at the beginning of the 1970s, but only developed fully ten years later due to the appearance and adaptation of new empirical methods and technological tools. The article reviews the experimental methods that can be used to study early speech perception in children under the age of one, and discusses some of the most relevant theoretical conclusions reached thanks to their application. The objective is to provide an overview of the methodological and theoreticalsituation of the study of speech perception during the first year of life...

O estudo da percepção precoce da fala surgiu no começo da década de 1970, mas só se desenvolveu plenamente dez anos depois, devido ao aparecimento e adaptação de novos métodos empíricos e ferramentas tecnológicas. Neste artigo, apresenta-se uma revisão dos métodos experimentais que podem ser utilizados para o estudo da percepção da fala em crianças menores de um ano. Também se referem algumas das conclusões teóricas mais relevantes que se alcançaram graças à sua aplicação. Pretende-se oferecer um panorama do estado metodológico e teórico do estudo da percepção da linguagem falada durante o primeiro ano de vida...

La percepción del habla durante el primer año de vida / Speech Perception in the First Year of Life

La adquisición del lenguaje implica una serie de habilidades complejas que evolucionan y se correlacionan haciendo que quien aprende por primera vez a hablar -o a expresarse mediante el lenguaje de señas- alcance los mejores resultados con el mínimo esfuerzo, siempre y cuando lo haga en el lapso de tiempo adecuado. En este sentido, se ha propuesto que la percepción temprana del habla tiene un papel primordial en la adquisición del lenguaje. En este artículo se presentan los resultados de las investigaciones más relevantes sobre la discriminación de clases y tipos de palabras, la discriminación prosódica e interidiomática, la discriminación fonológica y fonotáctica y el reconocimiento de regularidades de distribución entre los elementos de la señal del habla, con el fin de brindar un panorama del conocimiento científico actual sobre las capacidades de los menores de un año para percibir el lenguaje hablado.

Language acquisition involves a number of complex skills that evolve in correlation with each other, thus making it possible for learners of their first spoken language -or sign language- to achieve the best results with minimal effort, as long as they do so within the appropriate period of time. In this regard, it is proposed that early speech perception has a primary role in language acquisition. In order to provide an overview of the current scientific knowledge as to the capabilities of children under the age of one to perceive spoken language, this paper presents the results of the most relevant research on discrimination of classes and types of words, interidiomatic and prosodic discrimination, phonological and phonotactic discrimination, as well as recognition of distributional regularities amongst the elements of the speech signal.

Actions vs. Words: How We Can Learn Both / Acciones vs. Palabras: Cómo Podemos Aprender Ambas

In three experiments we investigated the relation between observing responses and incidental language acquisition by children ages 3 to 5 with and without disabilities. In Experiment I, participants heard the name of an object while observing an accompanying action with the object. The participants consistently acquired the actions associated with the objects, but learned few names. Experiment II compare responses to stimuli presented with and without actions, with the results indicating that the presence of an action hindered rather than facilitated incidental acquisition of names. In Experiment III, we selected participants who acquired listener responses when actions were present, but did not readily acquire the speaker responses. Following a multiple exemplar intervention, participants acquired both speaker and listener responses along with the action responses for novel stimuli. The findings suggest that when children are provided with a specific instructional history, they can acquire multiple benefits from a single language exposure experience.

En tres experimentos se investigó la relación entre respuestas de observación y la adquisición de lenguaje incidental por niños de 3 a 5 años con y sin discapacidad. En el Experimento I, los participantes escucharon el nombre de un objeto mientras observaban una acción que acompañó al objeto. Los participantes consistentemente adquirieron las acciones asociadas con los objetos, pero aprendieron pocos nombres. El Experimento II comparó las respuestas ante estímulos presentes con y sin acciones. Los resultados indicaron que la presencia de una acción dificultó en lugar de facilitar la adquisición incidental de los nombres. En el Experimento III, se seleccionaron participantes que adquirieron respuestas de oyente cuando las acciones estaban presentes, pero que no habían adquirido las respuestas de hablante. Después de una intervención múltiple ejemplificada, los participantes adquirieron tanto las respuestas de oyente como las de hablante conjuntamente con las respuestas de acción para estímulos novedosos. Los resultados sugieren que cuando se provee a los niños con una historia instruccional específica adquieren beneficios múltiples de una sola exposición de experiencia con el lenguaje.

Ocorrência de classes gramaticais na fala espontânea de crianças de 18 a 41 meses com pares / Occurrence of grammatical classes in spontaneous speech of 18-41-month-old children with their peers

Este estudo teve como objetivo investigar a ocorrência de diferentes categorias gramaticais em 21 crianças (18 a 41 meses), interagindo espontaneamente com pares; e comparar esses dados com estudos que empregam a observação da interação adulto/criança em contexto de fala elicitada. Cada participante foi filmado durante 15 minutos, por cinco vezes (em intervalos de um mês) interagindo com colegas de classe. Os registros foram distribuídos em quatro grupos etários. As categorias gramaticais mais frequentes em todos os grupos foram verbos e substantivos. A frequência de tipos de verbos e substantivos foi equivalente entre os grupos mais jovens, mas verbos foram mais frequentes nos grupos mais velhos. Discute-se o papel do contexto de observação e do método de coleta de dados. (AU)

This study aimed to investigate the occurrences of different grammatical categories in 21 children (18 to 41 months) in situations of spontaneous speech with their peers and compare these data with studies that employ the observation of adult/child interaction in the context of elicited speech. Each child was videotaped during 15 minutes interacting with classmates. It happened for five times with intervals of one month between them. Records were joined into four groups. The most frequent grammatical categories in all age groups were verbs and nouns. The frequency of different types of verbs and nouns were equivalent among younger groups, but verbs were more frequently used in older groups. We discuss the role of observation context and the method of data sampling. (AU)

Effects of selection tasks on naming emergence in children / Efeitos de tarefas de seleção sobre a emergência de nomeação em crianças

The aim of the present work - which was divided into two studies - was to investigate if, from teaching selection tasks, naming responses would be emitted without direct teaching. Nine children aged between 7 and 12 participated in the study. In each study, 12 abstract pictures and 12 pseudo words were utilized. The procedures were comprised of six sessions that encompassed selection tasks (name-picture relations) and naming tests (picture-name relations). When a participant met 100% correct responses in selection tasks, (s)he was exposed to a naming test. The difference among the studies was the presentation of an echoic behavior pre-test of the pseudo words. The results indicated variability in the participants' naming performance.

O presente trabalho, dividido em dois estudos, teve como objetivo verificar se a partir de tarefas de seleção, respostas de nomeação seriam emitidas sem ensino direto. Participaram ao todo nove crianças com idades entre 7 e 12 anos. Em cada estudo foram utilizadas 12 figuras abstratas e 12 pseudopalavras. Os procedimentos continham seis sessões compostas de tarefas de seleção (relações nome-figura) e de testes de nomeação (relações figura-nome). Alcançado desempenho de 100% de acerto nas tarefas de seleção, o participante era exposto ao teste de nomeação. A diferença entre os estudos foi a apresentação de um préteste de comportamento ecóico das pseudopalavras. Os resultados indicaram variabilidade no desempenho de nomeação dos participantes.