The Structural Characteristics of Monologues in the Speech of Normal Children: Syntactic Nonconversational Aspects

Abstract

The syntactic nonconversational features of monologue speech were investigated as a companion paper to Gallagher and Craig’s (1978) study of the semantic and conversational aspects of monologues. The monologue-dialogue language samples collected by Gallagher and Craig from nine normal subjects, three at Brown’s language stages I, II, and III, were analyzed syntactically. The original procedure consisted of the collection of a two-hour language sample from each child containing alternations of dialogue with the examiner and monologue produced during independent play. The results indicate that the syntactic categories that occurred in monologue speech were similar to those appearing in dialogue speech but the percentage frequencies differed. Monologue subsamples can be characterized syntactically as highly structured sequences of revision behavior reflecting a basic metalinguistic performative. The clinical implications of the naturally occurring analysis procedures observed are discussed.