The influence of functional and discursive strategies on the use of complex and complete syntax after the age of 3

A sequential analysis in a French intervention programme

Abstract

Numerous studies have documented the features of child-directed speech, such as recasts and prompts, that contribute to the development of phonology, morphology, lexicon, and syntax in children before three. Upon entering the school system, significant disparities in language skills become apparent. This exploratory study aims to provide a deeper understanding of the processes that foster the development of complex syntactic skills in French-speaking children aged three to five with language vulnerabilities in an after-school intervention programme. Specifically, this research investigates which features of child-directed speech influence the syntactic structure of children's utterances in terms of complexity and completeness. A series of dyadic interactions between an adult and a child engaged in a joint narration within an intervention programme were analysed using sequential analysis. The findings indicate that the functional strategies (assertions and prompts) employed by adults as the discursive strategies (recasts and offers) significantly influence the syntactic structure of children’s utterances. Assertions facilitate the production of complete and more complex utterances, whereas prompts are linked to the use of incomplete and simpler utterances. Additionally, recasts promote the use of complex and complete utterances, in contrast to offers. Furthermore, children appear to become increasingly aware of adults’ expectations over time.