How to analyse a child language transcript

Register

• What is the manner? (relationship between participants)
• Eg. mother, father, sister
• Monologue or dialogue?
• What is the extent of the inetraction?
• Eg. Is . the child unresponsive, talkative
• What is the function of the communication?
• Eg. intrumental, heuristic (Halliday)
• What is the field?
• Eg. toys, outdoor activities, food

Lexis/ Semantics

• Is the child using proto-words?
• Eg. The child doesn't recognise the words it's saying but knows words are parts of a sound
• Are there any holophrases?
• Eg. OK, I love you, thank you
• Are there any examples of over- extension?
• Eg. doggie for all 4 legged creatures, daddy for all men
• Are there examples of under- extension?
• Eg. Only calling their ball a ball and not realising all balls are balls
• What types of words are they using?
• Eg. nouns, verbs, modifiers
• Look at the range of vocabulary, it reflects the child's understanding of the world

Phonology

• Is there any babbling?
• Eg. reduplicated, substitution
• How is pronunciation simplified?
• Eg. reduplication, substitution
• What proportion of consonants does the child produce correctly?
• Eg. s, l, r
• Do they pronounce later consonants?
• Eg. sh, ch, j, th, v

Grammar

• After the holophrastic stage is syntax evident?
• Eg. are words in the correct order
• What range of inflections are used?
• Eg. -ing, -s
• Does the child ask questions? How are they formed?
• Eg. early wh- (where, when) or later ones (why, how)
• Does the child use negatives? How are the formed?
• Eg. no at the start of a sentence, no inside a sentence, achieves the correct form
• Are there any auxiliary verbs used?
• Eg. I am going
• Is the primary verb 'to be' used?
• Are pronouns in a range of contexts?
• Very late features
• Eg. contractions like don't, won't, subject- verb inversion in questions

Pragmatics

• Are the utterances related to specific contexts?
• Is turn-taking evident and to what extent?
• Who initiates and sustains the conversation?
• Does the child produce a monologue-like string of utterances with no real sense of audience?
• How actively involved is the child in the conversation?
• Are there examples of normal non- fluency features?
• Is the register altered for different contexts, audiences, and topics?
• Are there repairs/ self correction?