Uma analise de enunciados definicionais na interação adulto-criança : primeiras definições de uma criança (2 a 4 anos)

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2004

RESUMO

The aim of the present dissertation was to verify how the first definitions of a 2.8 to 4.2 year old child are constructed. Corpus delimitation allowed us to perceive the importance of analyzing not only a child?s but also an adult?s statements in order to compare the linguistic content, form and structure used. Moreover, we could not but consider data in which the construction of definition was grouped together, i.e., structure occurred during the interaction between two contributing interlocutors (child and adult). We were able to perceive that the definitions produced both by the child and the adult in naturally-occurring contexts of interaction are similar in the three above-mentioned aspects. Regarding content, the functional aspect predominates in both the child?s and the adult?s definition, confirming various results from research that used other age ranges on the subject of definition. The descriptive aspect has limited use in both the child and the adult. Exemplification appears more frequently in the adult?s speech. In our view, this is justified in the adult who perceives that exemplifying with facts and/or actions connected to a child?s daily life can make conveyed information easier to assimilate. Regarding the form of definitions produced, the aspect most worth mentioning is that they are usually ?incomplete? compared to conventional definitions, even in an adult who theoretically already has the resources necessary to structure a conventional definition. It is concluded that the adult does not seem concerned about providing the child with necessary resources to produce a conventional definition; the former simply wants to broaden the latter?s knowledge of the world and thus the language. Regarding linguistic structure, data showed that the structure ?preposition + infinitive verb? is the most frequent one to indicate function, whereas the structure ?relative pronoun + the singular form of the verb in the third person? appears to serve both to express the functional and descriptive aspects. The structure ?It is + when...? was evidenced as being the most efficient for exemplification. The analysis section of grouped definitions proved to be the most productive for this study because it was possible to confirm many conclusions already obtained from analyzing a child?s and adult?s statements in the first and second sections of analysis. In addition, we could perceive a change of attitude in the adult, when he was provider of definition, since he did not seem concerned with exploring the child?s knowledge or leading the child to produce a definition alone, as seen in the definitional statements of the second analysis section. On the other hand, in the grouped definitions we observed that the adult plays the role of someone who has to confirm what he believes is right or must provide several ?clues? so that the child can reach the desired definition. These clues may be given in the form of insistent questions or adopting a strange tone of voice when faced with information considered inadequate or unacceptable. Most of the time, the adult not only confirms the child?s definition, but also complements it when he deems it necessary. Such attitudes in the adult show his concern about valuing and also broadening the child?s prior knowledge

ASSUNTO(S)

aquisição de linguagem criança - crescimento

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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