Learner Resource 9
Look at these utterances taken from one child over the period of about a year (1:3 – 2:7). Identify
which of the 5 language levels might be interesting to apply in each example and what, if anything,
they can tell us about the development of child language.
Note: these examples are not given in any particular order. When relevant or helpful an IPA
transcription is given along with any helpful contextual information:
/mɒlk/ ([Milk] said in the morning straight after getting up)
I can’t want this.
Give it to mine.
/aɪ laɪ___k ə bɪksket/
Ready to /reksku/ (a line from Thomas the Tank Engine)
/nəʊ/ (In answer to the question, what is that?)
No, daddy don’t you do like that.
I would like milk please.
Who is this big fella?
Where am I doing?
A car (used to refer to a truck a train and a car)
Rain makes two puddles
He’s got a drink
I not have a bath.
I’m hungry, mum.
Two of Lightening and two of Mater
I go to Linda’s today
Wilfred see the car race the car
Thomas and Percy racing up the mountain (whilst playing with trains) They sped away.
Now Henry going to sped away.
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Child Language Acquisition
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Child Language Acquisition
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Copyright © OCR 2015