Vocabulary used by toddlers who attend ethnolinguistically diverse nursery schools : a parent report

Abstract

The primary aim of the study was to verify vocabulary on the Language Development Survey, for typically developing toddlers who attend ethnolinguistically diverse nursery schools. This was investigated through parent report. The need for exploration of the vocabulary of this population stems from the diverse linguistic context to which toddlers are exposed on a day-to-day basis in South Africa. Many parents prefer English as the language of learning for their child, irrespective of whether or not their first language is an alternative vernacular. Thus, toddlers interact with ethnolinguistically diverse peers from a young age, usually within their nursery school. An adapted version of the Language Development Survey was presented to forty middle-class parents within the Emalahleni area. Vocabulary commonly used by toddlers was determined and a comparison of parent responses between the present study and the original American-based survey were drawn. As expected, results revealed that nouns were used most often by toddlers, in keeping with research on vocabulary acquisition. Comparisons drawn between parent responses from the two studies showed highly similar results. Parents reported that nouns, verbs, adjectives and other vocabulary were used similarly by toddlers, despite differences in their linguistic exposure. These findings verify the Language Development Survey as a valuable clinical resource for speech and language therapists managing toddlers within the South African context. Suggestions for future research are provided. AFRIKAANS : Die primêre doel van die studie was om die woordeskat wat in die Language Development Survey gebruik word te bevestig vir tipies ontwikkelende twee-jaar oue kleuters wat etnolinguisties diverse kleuterskole bywoon. Dit is ondersoek deur middel van ouer terugvoer. Die behoefte vir ‘n woordeskat ondersoek van hierdie populasie spruit uit die diverse linguistiese konteks waaraan kleuters op ‘n dag-tot-dag basis in Suid-Afrika blootgestel word. Baie ouers verkies Engels as die taal van onderig vir hul kind, ongeag of hulle moedertaal daarvan verskil of nie. Dit het die gevolg dat kleuters van jongs af met etno-linguisties diverse ouderdomsgenote interaksie het, gewoonlik in die kleuterskool. ‘n Aangepaste weergawe van die Language Development Survey is aan veertig middel-klas ouers in die Emalahleni area voorgelê. Daar is vasgestel watter woordeskat oor die algemeen deur die kleuters gebruik word, en ‘n vergelyking tussen die ouers se terugvoer in die huidige en die oorspronklike Amerikaanse studie is getref. Soos verwag, het die resultate gewys dat selfstandige naamwoorde die mees algemeen deur kleuters gebruik word, wat ooreenstem met navorsing in verband met die aanleer van woordeskat. Vergelykings tussen ouer terugvoer van die twee studies het hoogs ooreenstemmende resultate gelewer. Uit ouer terugvoer kon dit ook afgelei word dat selfstandige naamwoorde, werkwoorde, byvoeglike naamwoorde en ander woordtipes ooreenstemmend deur kleuters gebruik word, afgesien van verskille in linguistiese blootstelling. Hierdie bevindinge bevestig die Language Development Survey as ‘n waardevolle kliniese hulpbron vir spraak- taalterapeute wat in die Suid- Afrikaanse konteks met kleuters werk. Voorstelle vir moontlike toekomstige navorsing word in die studie verskaf.