Rosie van Veen

1
Rosie van Veen

• The influence of adult input on the acquisition
  of German connectives

2
Language Acquisition

• Input is essential
• Diessel (2004), Tomasello (2006), Brown (1973)
• What is it in the input?
• Frequency Quality
• Research Question does input frequency influence
  German connective acquisition?
• Immediate effect?
• Long term effect?

3
Example
Father Ja okay, dann helf ich mit. Father
Aber was machen wir denn mit Eule und
Osterhase? Leo Eule kriegt dies Leo
Aber x 4 Oster(hase) wollte kein(e)s.
209 Father Was wollte Osterhase nich(t)
haben? Leo Kein (S)pielzeug Father Yes
okay, I will help. Father But what shall we
do with owl and Easter bunny? Leo Owl
gets this. Leo But x 4 Easter bunny wants
no. 209 Father What didnt Easter bunny
want to have? Leo No toys.
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Method

• Dense Data
• German boy Leo (111 211)
• 250 files
• German connectives
• aber (but), damit (so that), und (and),
• wenn (when), weil (because)
• Logistic Regression
• Evaluate frequency of a connective by calculating
  the probability of the connective occurring
• 3 factors age effect, short long term effects

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Graph 1
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Graph 2
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Conclusion

• Adult input does influence the acquisition of
  German connectives
• Short term effect
• Long term effect
• Future research
• Differentiate between connective and
  non-connective uses
• Larger group of subjects