ORCID
- Michelle White: 0000-0003-0164-7677
Abstract
Research shows that children’s home environment (e.g., the composition of their householdand the resources available in it) has an impact on children’s language development.However, this research has mostly been conducted among English speakers from theminority world and has often only considered vocabulary size. This exploratory studyinvestigated whether home environment factors are predictive of grammar development inAfrikaans-speaking (n = 117) and English-speaking (n = 102) toddlers in South Africa.Moreover, potential differences between these two language groups were explored. Resultsshowed that home environment factors pertaining to family stability predicted two of thethree grammar scores, namely total grammar and complex phrases. Cluster analysis showeddistinct patterns of home environment factors between Afrikaans and English-speakinghouseholds, illustrating the importance of measuring these factors even across samples fromthe same country. This study shows that children’s home environment is an interconnectedsystem and cautions against oversimplified single-factor approaches.
Publication Date
2024-12-13
Publication Title
Journal of Child Language
ISSN
0305-0009
First Page
1
Last Page
24
Recommended Citation
White, M., & Southwood, F. (2024) 'Is home environment predictive of early grammar development?', Journal of Child Language, , pp. 1-24. Available at: 10.1017/s0305000924000527
