Lexical development of noun and predicate comprehension and production in isiZulu

• DOI: 10.4102/sajcd.v63i2.169
• Publication Date: 2016-07-28T11:44:54Z
• Authors: Ramona Kunene Nic...; Saaliha Ahmed
• Keywords: naming task; 4. Education; 05 social sciences; Linguistics; Oral communication. Speech; Verbal Learning; lexical production, lexical comprehension; lexical assessment tool; Language Development; Vocabulary; Semantics; South Africa; Pattern Recognition, Visual; Child, Preschool; P95-95.6; Humans; 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences; Comprehension; isiZulu language acquisition; Developing Countries; Original Research; Language

This study seeks to investigate the development of noun and predicate comprehension production in isiZulu-speaking children between ages 25 36 months. It compares lexical isiZulu, using an Italian developed validated vocabulary assessment tool: The Picture Naming Game (PiNG) by Bello, Giannantoni, Pettenati, Stefanini Caselli (2012). PiNG tool includes four subtests, one each for subnoun (NC), (NP), (PC), (PP). Children are shown these items then asked show produce certain items. After adaptation into South African context, adapted version was used directly assess isiZulu with three main objectives (1) test efficiency a measure development, (2) previous findings done many cross-linguistic comparisons that have found both performance increase age lesser-studied language, (3) present our around linguistic categories nouns predicates. An analysis results reported this effect throughout entire sample. Across all groups, subtests better performed than subtests. With regard items, responses showed influence various factors, including late acquisition possible problems stimuli presented them, input received from their home environment.