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Caused motion across child languages: a comparison of English, German, and French.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Type

Article

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Authors

Hickmann, Maya 
Hendriks, Henriëtte 
Harr, Anne-Katharina 
Bonnet, Philippe 

Abstract

Previous research on motion expression indicates that typological properties influence how speakers select and express information in discourse (Slobin, 2004; Talmy, 2000). The present study further addresses this question by examining the expression of caused motion by adults and children (three to ten years) in French (Verb-framed) vs. English and German (Satellite-framed). Participants narrated short animated cartoons showing an agent displacing objects and varying along several dimensions (Path, Manner). A significant increase with age was found in the number of expressed motion components in all languages, as well as an influence of Path (vertical > boundary crossing). However, at all ages, participants encoded more information in English and German than in French, where more variation and structural changes occurred with increasing age. These findings highlight both cognitive and typological factors impacting the expression of caused motion in development. Implications of our findings are sketched in the 'Discussion'.

Description

Keywords

English, French, German, caused motion, language development, typological differences, Adult, Child, Child Language, Child, Preschool, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Female, Humans, Language, Male, Memory, Narration

Journal Title

J Child Lang

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0305-0009
1469-7602

Volume Title

45

Publisher

Cambridge University Press (CUP)