The present study examines narrative competence and its relationships with syntactic and prosodic skills in preschool children. The narrative skills of 30 typically developing Italian children were assessed during their first year of kindergarten attendance (T1) and again one year later (T2). A picture book was used to elicit children's narratives. All stories were examined for narrative competence, syntactic complexity and prosody. The results are discussed in the context of the relationships between prosody and the other linguistic skills, considering that the children who were more proficient storytellers and exhibited better syntactic construction were generally less able to produce their utterances within a single melodic contour. Therefore, the linguistic and cognitive abilities required by a storytelling task may negatively influence a child's ability to produce sentences within a single melodic contour.

Zanchi, P., Zampini, L., Fasolo, M., D'Odorico, L. (2016). Syntax and prosody in narratives: A study of preschool children. FIRST LANGUAGE, 36(2), 124-139 [10.1177/0142723716639500].

Syntax and prosody in narratives: A study of preschool children

ZANCHI, PAOLA
Primo
;
ZAMPINI, LAURA
Secondo
;
D'ODORICO, LAURA
Ultimo
2016

Abstract

The present study examines narrative competence and its relationships with syntactic and prosodic skills in preschool children. The narrative skills of 30 typically developing Italian children were assessed during their first year of kindergarten attendance (T1) and again one year later (T2). A picture book was used to elicit children's narratives. All stories were examined for narrative competence, syntactic complexity and prosody. The results are discussed in the context of the relationships between prosody and the other linguistic skills, considering that the children who were more proficient storytellers and exhibited better syntactic construction were generally less able to produce their utterances within a single melodic contour. Therefore, the linguistic and cognitive abilities required by a storytelling task may negatively influence a child's ability to produce sentences within a single melodic contour.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
Complex utterances; development; narratives; preschool age; prosody;
Complex utterances, development, narratives, preschool age, prosody
English
4-apr-2016
2016
36
2
124
139
none
Zanchi, P., Zampini, L., Fasolo, M., D'Odorico, L. (2016). Syntax and prosody in narratives: A study of preschool children. FIRST LANGUAGE, 36(2), 124-139 [10.1177/0142723716639500].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/110571
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