University of Liverpool, School of Psychology, Liverpool L69 7ZA, UK.
J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2009 Dec;52(6):1471-92. doi: 10.1044/1092-4388(2009/08-0037a).
The study of auxiliary acquisition is central to work on language development and has attracted theoretical work from both nativist and constructivist approaches. This study is part of a 2-part companion set that represents a unique attempt to trace the development of auxiliary syntax by using a longitudinal elicitation methodology. The aim of the research described in this part is to track the development of modal auxiliaries and auxiliary DO in questions and declaratives to provide a more complete picture of the development of the auxiliary system in English-speaking children.
Twelve English-speaking children participated in 2 tasks designed to elicit auxiliaries CAN, WILL, and DOES in declaratives and yes/no questions. They completed each task 6 times in total between the ages of 2;10 (years;months) and 3;6.
The children's levels of correct use of the target auxiliaries differed in complex ways according to auxiliary, polarity, and sentence structure, and these relations changed over development. An analysis of the children's errors also revealed complex interactions between these factors.
These data cannot be explained in full by existing theories of auxiliary acquisition. Researchers working within both generativist and constructivist frameworks need to develop more detailed theories of acquisition that predict the pattern of acquisition observed.
辅助获取的研究是语言发展工作的核心，它吸引了来自天生论和建构论两种方法的理论工作。本研究是两部分配套研究中的一部分，代表了一种独特的尝试，即通过使用纵向启发式方法来追踪辅助语法的发展。本部分研究的目的是跟踪情态助动词和辅助助动词 DO 在疑问句和陈述句中的发展，以更全面地描述英语儿童辅助系统的发展。
12 名英语儿童参加了 2 项任务，旨在在陈述句和是/否疑问句中引出助动词 CAN、WILL 和 DOES。他们在 2 岁 10 个月至 3 岁 6 个月之间总共完成了每个任务 6 次。
根据辅助词、极性和句子结构，儿童对目标辅助词的正确使用水平以复杂的方式存在差异，并且这些关系随着发展而变化。对儿童错误的分析也揭示了这些因素之间复杂的相互作用。
这些数据不能用现有的辅助获取理论来充分解释。在生成论和建构论框架内工作的研究人员需要开发更详细的获取理论，以预测所观察到的获取模式。
