Complex syntax in children with hearing loss (Werfel et al., 2021)

<b>Purpose: </b>Proficiency with complex syntax is important for language and reading comprehension, and production of complex syntax begins to emerge shortly after a young child begins using two-word combinations. Complex syntax production in preschool children with hearing loss who use spoken language has been explored minimally. The purpose of this study was to compare complex syntax production of 4-year-old children with hearing loss to age-matched and language-matched peers with normal hearing.<b>Method: </b>Seventy-two children completed a language assessment battery, including a structured language sample. Complex syntax density and number and accuracy of productions of particular types of complex syntax were compared across three groups: 4-year-old children with hearing loss, an age-matched group of children with normal hearing, and an mean length of utterance (MLU)–matched group of children with normal hearing.<b>Results:</b> Children with hearing loss had lower complex syntax density and fewer correct productions of coordinated clauses, subordinate clauses, and simple infinitives than their age-matched, but not language-matched, peers. Furthermore, children with hearing loss had lower accuracy than the age-matched group on simple infinitives and lower accuracy than both the age- and MLU-matched groups on full propositional complements and subject relative clauses.<b>Conclusion: </b>Children with hearing loss exhibit delays in complex syntax acquisition as compared to their same-age peers and disruptions in development on some complex structures as compared to MLU-matched, younger children.<br><b>Supplemental Material S1.</b> Number correct production of specific types of complex syntax by group.<br><b>Supplemental Material S2.</b> Percent correct production of specific types of complex syntax by group.<br>Werfel, K. L., Reynolds, G., Hudgins, D., Castaldo, M., &amp; Lund, E. A. (2021). The production of complex syntax in spontaneous language by 4-year-old children with hearing loss. <i>American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. </i>Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-20-00178

研究目的：掌握复杂句法对于语言及阅读理解至关重要，幼儿在开始使用双词组合后不久，便会逐步产生复杂句法表达。但针对使用口语的听障学龄前儿童的复杂句法产出情况，相关探索尚且有限。本研究旨在对比4岁听障儿童与年龄匹配、语言能力匹配的正常听力同龄人之间的复杂句法产出差异。
研究方法：72名儿童完成了包含结构化语言样本的语言评估组合。本研究将三组儿童的复杂句法密度、特定类型复杂句法的产出数量与准确性进行对比：4岁听障儿童组、年龄匹配的正常听力儿童组，以及平均话语长度（mean length of utterance, MLU）匹配的正常听力儿童组。
研究结果：与年龄匹配的正常听力同龄人相比，听障儿童的复杂句法密度更低，并列分句、从属分句以及简单不定式的正确产出数量更少；与语言能力匹配的同龄人相比则无此类差异。此外，听障儿童在简单不定式上的准确性低于年龄匹配组，在完整命题补语与主语关系从句上的准确性则低于年龄匹配组及MLU匹配组。
研究结论：相较于同年龄段正常听力儿童，听障儿童在复杂句法习得方面存在发育延迟；相较于MLU匹配的低龄儿童，其部分复杂句法结构的发育也存在异常。
补充材料S1：各组特定类型复杂句法的正确产出数量。
补充材料S2：各组特定类型复杂句法的正确产出百分比。
Werfel, K. L., Reynolds, G., Hudgins, D., Castaldo, M., & Lund, E. A. (2021). 4岁听障儿童自发语言中的复杂句法产出. 《美国言语语言病理学杂志》（*American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology*）. 提前在线出版. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-20-00178