This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Winskel, H. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The expression of temporal relations in Thai children's narratives

University of Western Sydney, h.winskel{at}uws.edu.au

The acquisition of temporal relations in the narratives of Thai children (aged 4 years, 6 years and 9 years) and of adults as control was investigated. Narratives were elicited using the `frog story'. Results revealed common and language-specific developmental patterns: (1) a developmental progression from relating events at a local to a more global level; (2) use of fewer forms that have a broader range of functions in the younger children; (3) acquisition of least restricted forms prior to more restricted forms; (4) qualified support for the acquisition of sequentiality prior to simultaneity. In the youngest children there was a greater reliance on usage of grammatical aspect; subsequently, as children acquired the ability to use bi-referential reference, temporal connectives played a more significant role. Eventually mature narrators are able to use a combination of explicit and implicit linguistic devices.

Key Words: Acquisition • language • narrative • temporal relations • Thai

First Language, Vol. 27, No. 2, 133-158 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0142723706074794


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?