Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T04:39:10.381Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Twin language or phonological disorder?*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

Barbara Dodd  and
Sandra McEvoy
Barbara Dodd*
Affiliation:
University of Queensland
Sandra McEvoy
Affiliation:
University of Queensland
*
Department of Speech and Hearing, The University of Queensland, 4072, Australia.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The acquisition of language in the preschool years by multiple-birth children is often reported to be atypical. Some researchers have claimed that they use ‘twin language’, i.e. an autonomous language specific to a multiple-birth set. This claim was investigated by describing and comparing the phonological characteristics of the speech of 19 sets of two- to four-year-old multiple-birth children, and by measuring multiple-birth children's understanding of their twins' or triplets' context-free speech. The results indicated that multiple-birth children are prone to phonological disorder and consequently their speech is often unintelligible. Siblings' phonologies evidenced some similarities, although they were not identical. Multiple-birth children were better able to understand their siblings' mispronunciations than were other children of the same age, although that understanding was dependent on how closely the error form resembled the adult form. While these three factors conspire to give the impression that ‘twin language’ is common, none of these findings provided support for the claim that multiple-birth children use an autonomous language.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 21 , Issue 2 , June 1994 , pp. 273 - 289
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

[*]

We are grateful for the co-operation of the parents and children who participated in this study. The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council provided financial assistance.

References

REFERENCES

Anastasi, A. (1958). Differential psychology. New York: MacMillan.Google Scholar
Dale, P. (1976). Language development: structure and function. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.Google Scholar
Davis, E. (1937). The development of linguistic skills in twins, singletons and siblings, and only children from 5 to 10. University of Minnesota Institute of Child Welfare Monograph, 14.Google Scholar
Day, E. (1932). The development of language in twins. 1. A comparison of twins and single children. Child Development 3, 179–90.Google Scholar
Dunn, C. & Davis, B. (1983). Phonological process occurrence in phonologically disordered children. Applied Psycholinguistics 4, 187–207.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dodd, B. (1975). Children's understanding of their own phonological forms. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 27, 165–72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dodd, B., Hambly, G. & Leahy, J. (1989). Phonological disorders in children: underlying cognitive deficits. British Journal of Developmental Psychology 7, 55–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dodd, B. & Iacono, T. (1989). Changes of phonological process use during treatment. British Journal of Human Communication Disorders 24, 333–52.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Douglas, J. & Sutton, A. (1978). The development of mental processes in a pair of twins: a case study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 55, 49–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duggirala, V. & Dodd, B. (1991). A psycholinguistic assessment model for disordered phonology. Proceedings of the XII International Congress of Phonetic Sciences, Aix-en-Provence 3, 342–5.Google Scholar
Grundy, K. (1989). Developmental speech disorders. In Grundy, K. (ed.), Linguistics in clinical practice. London: Taylor & Francis.Google Scholar
Grunwell, P. (1981). Clinical phonology. London: Billing.Google Scholar
Hay, D., Enticott, A. & O'Brien, P. (1988). Report on Fifth International Congress on Twin Studies Held in Amsterdam, September 1986. Melbourne: LaTrobe Twin Study of Behavioural and Biological Development.Google Scholar
Johnston, C., Prior, M. & Hay, D. (1984). Prediction of reading disability in twin boys. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 26, 588–95.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jorden, B. (1988). Ultrasound: sound manipulation software for IBM PC compatibles. St Lucia: UniQuest Ltd. University of Queensland.Google Scholar
Keenan, E. & Klein, E. (1975). Coherency in children's discourse. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research 4, 365–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koch, H. C. (1966). Twins and twin relations. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Leahy, J. & Dodd, B. (1987). The development of disordered phonology: a case study. Language and Cognitive Processes 2, 115–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leonard, L. (1985). Unusual and subtle phonological behaviour in the speech of phonologically disordered children. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders 50, 4–13.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Luria, A. & Yudovich, F. (1959). Speech and the development of mental processes in the child. London: Staple Press.Google Scholar
Matheny, A. & Bruggemann, C. (1972). Articulation proficiency in twins and singletons from families of twins. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research 15, 845–51.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Malmstram, P. & Silva, M. (1986). Twin talk: manifestation of twin status in the speech of toddlers. Journal of Child Language 13, 293–304.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McEvoy, S. & Dodd, B. (1992). Communication abilities of 2- to 4-year-olds twins. European Journal of Disorders of Communication 27, 73–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mittler, P. (1970). Biological and social aspects of language development in twins. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 12, 741–57.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mittler, P. (1976). Language development in young twins: biological, genetic and social aspects. Acta Genetica Medica Gemellol 25, 359–65.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roberts, J., Burchinal, M. & Footo, M. (1990). Phonological process decline from 2½ to 8 years. Journal of Communication Disorders 23, 205–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Russell, T., Oerlemans, M. & Dodd, B. (1992). The literacy skills of children with a past history of treated speech disorder. Proceedings of the ARC Cognitive Science Forum, Macquarie University.Google Scholar
Savić, S. (1980). How twins learn to talk. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Scheinfeld, A. (1967). Twins and Supertwins. Philadelphia: Lippincott.Google Scholar
Smith, N. (1973). The acquisition of phonology: a case study. Cambridge: C.U.P.Google Scholar
Stafford, L. (1987). Maternal input to twin and singleton children. Implications for language acquisition. Human Communication Research 13, 429–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tomasello, M., Mannle, S. & Kruger, A. (1986). Linguistic environment of 1–2 year old twins. Developmental Psychology 22, 169–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weiner, F. & Wacker, R. (1982). The development of phonology in unintelligible speakers. In Lass, N. B. (ed.), Speech and language: advances in basic research and practice. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Zazzo, R. (1960). Les jumeaux: le couple et la personne. II: l'individuation psychologique. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.Google Scholar