Predicting language outcomes in children aged 2-4 years
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Predicting language outcomes in children aged 2-4 years and characterising how they learn
IRAS ID
237701
Contact name
Rachael Cheung
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Lancaster University
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 7 months, 18 days
Research summary
Late talkers fall at the 10th percentile or below in vocabulary production compared to typically developing children at 2 years old. Although most reach the normal age-appropriate competency range, a proportion continue to have persistent deficits in receptive and expressive language, affecting academic and social outcomes. Little is known about how the mechanisms of word learning in late talkers differ compared to typically developing children, but existing research suggests they are less able to extract the structure of language from their environment. Furthermore, although language mediates children’s understanding of symbols and pictures, no studies have examined how this understanding might be affected in late talkers.
Our research will involve testing both typically developing children and late talkers on word learning tasks and abstract non-verbal tasks at the age of 2 years. We will also collect data regarding the social ability of participants using questionnaires. The participants enrolled in the study will be followed up for a maximum of two years to the age of 4 to track their language development over time. We aim to identify differences that could lead to early identification of late talkers who will continue to struggle and to better characterise the mechanisms underlying late talking, including the effect limited language skills may have on non-verbal ability and the role of social ability in word learning.
REC name
Wales REC 7
REC reference
18/WA/0024
Date of REC Opinion
18 Jan 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion