The development of interrogative forms and functions in early childhood Cantonese

Hui Li; Shek Kam Tse; Jessie Ming Sin Wong; Eileen Chin Mei Wong; Shing On Leung

doi:10.1177/0142723713479422

The development of interrogative forms and functions in early childhood Cantonese

Hui Li^*, Shek Kam Tse, Jessie Ming Sin Wong, Eileen Chin Mei Wong, Shing On Leung

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study investigated question acquisition in Cantonese-speaking young children with a focus on the development of interrogative forms and functions. Data from a child Cantonese corpus (492 children aged 36, 48 and 60 months) were analysed. The main results were that: (1) all the interrogative forms and functions were produced by the three age groups and no age difference was found; (2) significant gender differences in favour of females were found; and (3) a significant form-function preference was obtained, with wh- and multiple questions being primarily used to seek information, and yes/no and rising tone/echo questions being largely used to request action.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	168-181
Number of pages	14
Journal	First Language
Volume	33
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/0142723713479422
Publication status	Published - Apr 2013
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Cantonese early childhood
question acquisition

Access to Document

10.1177/0142723713479422

Cite this

@article{eb5e6e745bf74046b82eac7eff573e6b,

title = "The development of interrogative forms and functions in early childhood Cantonese",

abstract = "This study investigated question acquisition in Cantonese-speaking young children with a focus on the development of interrogative forms and functions. Data from a child Cantonese corpus (492 children aged 36, 48 and 60 months) were analysed. The main results were that: (1) all the interrogative forms and functions were produced by the three age groups and no age difference was found; (2) significant gender differences in favour of females were found; and (3) a significant form-function preference was obtained, with wh- and multiple questions being primarily used to seek information, and yes/no and rising tone/echo questions being largely used to request action.",

keywords = "Cantonese early childhood, question acquisition",

author = "Hui Li and Tse, {Shek Kam} and Wong, {Jessie Ming Sin} and Wong, {Eileen Chin Mei} and Leung, {Shing On}",

year = "2013",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1177/0142723713479422",

language = "English",

volume = "33",

pages = "168--181",

journal = "First Language",

issn = "0142-7237",

publisher = "SAGE Publications",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The development of interrogative forms and functions in early childhood Cantonese

AU - Li, Hui

AU - Tse, Shek Kam

AU - Wong, Jessie Ming Sin

AU - Wong, Eileen Chin Mei

AU - Leung, Shing On

PY - 2013/4

Y1 - 2013/4

N2 - This study investigated question acquisition in Cantonese-speaking young children with a focus on the development of interrogative forms and functions. Data from a child Cantonese corpus (492 children aged 36, 48 and 60 months) were analysed. The main results were that: (1) all the interrogative forms and functions were produced by the three age groups and no age difference was found; (2) significant gender differences in favour of females were found; and (3) a significant form-function preference was obtained, with wh- and multiple questions being primarily used to seek information, and yes/no and rising tone/echo questions being largely used to request action.

AB - This study investigated question acquisition in Cantonese-speaking young children with a focus on the development of interrogative forms and functions. Data from a child Cantonese corpus (492 children aged 36, 48 and 60 months) were analysed. The main results were that: (1) all the interrogative forms and functions were produced by the three age groups and no age difference was found; (2) significant gender differences in favour of females were found; and (3) a significant form-function preference was obtained, with wh- and multiple questions being primarily used to seek information, and yes/no and rising tone/echo questions being largely used to request action.

KW - Cantonese early childhood

KW - question acquisition

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84876126887&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/0142723713479422

DO - 10.1177/0142723713479422

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84876126887

SN - 0142-7237

VL - 33

SP - 168

EP - 181

JO - First Language

JF - First Language

IS - 2

ER -

The development of interrogative forms and functions in early childhood Cantonese

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this