James S L, Seebach M A
J Speech Hear Res. 1982 Mar;25(1):2-11. doi: 10.1044/jshr.2501.02.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the pragmatic function of preschool children's spontaneously produced questions. Twenty-four normal children between the age of 2 and 5 years were observed in a variety of situations at their day-care centers. Questions produced during these observation periods were categorized by pragmatic function. The three functional categories were information seeking, conversational, and directive. The distribution of the questions among the three pragmatic functions differed with age. The major function of the questions produced by the 2- and 3-year-old subjects was clearly information seeking, but the 4- and 5-year-olds' questions were more evenly distributed among the functional categories. The 4-year-olds used a high percentage of conversational questions in comparison to the other age groups. The children's question use appeared to follow the principle of using new forms for old functions and old forms for new functions.
本研究的目的是调查学龄前儿童自发提出问题的语用功能。在日托中心的各种情境中观察了24名年龄在2至5岁之间的正常儿童。在这些观察期间提出的问题按语用功能进行分类。这三个功能类别分别是寻求信息、对话性和指令性。不同年龄的儿童提出的问题在这三种语用功能中的分布有所不同。2岁和3岁儿童提出的问题的主要功能显然是寻求信息，但4岁和5岁儿童提出的问题在功能类别中的分布更为均匀。与其他年龄组相比，4岁儿童使用的对话性问题比例较高。儿童使用问题的方式似乎遵循用新形式实现旧功能、用旧形式实现新功能的原则。
