Language sample analysis and characteristics

Linguistics Morpheme Count

SPPA 3852 Language Sample Analysis Guidelines

Language Form:

Count the number of morphemes for each utterance. (15)

Add the number of morphemes and divide by the number of utterances to compute MLU. (10)

MLU= Total number of morphemes/total number of utterances.

In a separate column, identify the type of morphemes seen by utterance (15).

Language Content:

Lexical diversity

Document the different types of words seen in the child's lexicon with examples (such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, locational prepositions, modifiers, articles, auxiliary verbs, copulas, gerunds, infinitives)

Sentence Types:

Types of sentences seen in child's communication. Complete the tabular form on the template to the extent possible to indicate the presence of declarative, interrogative, embedded and conjoined sentence constructions. Use the resource guide to identify examples in your language sample.

Language Use:

Identify the functions for which the child was able to communicate to the extent you can observe from the sample. By citing the utterances numbers indicate where:

1. The child was able to use his communication to request, protest, and comment. (15)

2. The child was able to follow directions. (5)

3. The child was able to maintain conversational topic by staying on topic for 3-5 turns. (5)

4. The child demonstrated adequate turn taking skills. How did you make this judgment? (5)

5. strategies that the child used for conversational repair. Indicate the utterance #'s and identify whether the child repeated or changed the message to clarify her message. (5)

Language Analysis Summary

Sample from a 3-year-old female

Key:

A= Adult

C= Child

XX= unintelligible utterance

Utterance #

Utterance

Number of Morphemes

1

Uhhuh.

1

2

Yup

1

3

Um, they can write words for me.

7

4

Um, that would be fine.

4

5

Mm, no.

1

6

I won't XX them in my bedroom.

7

7

But downstairs… or in the basement

6

8

or in their room.

4

9

They could do it in their room.

7

10

Like if they want.

4

11

Mm, I will feed 'em

4

12

Every kid could have a different meal

7

13

I will um pick out whatever I want to, and -- and

9

14

I will let it um cook its own dinner

9

15

Nope

1

16

Right

1

17

Um, probably about 10 o'clock

4

18

No

1

19

Because I'll let 'em play

6

20

Cause they would probably want to play at nighttime

10

21

So I I'll let 'em if they play till it's 10 o'clock

13

22

And then

2

23

No.

1

24

I wouldn't sign 'em up for school

8

25

Nope

1

26

Yeah

1

27

Not all the time

4

28

I would just take 'em places like the store or my boys

14

29

No. Well

2

30

Never mind about that shopping

6

31

I would take them to fun places only

9

32

Yeah

1

33

Yeah

1

34

And Chuck E. Cheese's

3

35

Bounceland and Jungle Joe's.

4

36

Mm, from the bank

3

37

You know how you get some money from the bank?

10

38

Can you turn

3

39

Can you turn that around?

5

40

Um, so I can, like

4

41

And I'll -- But I'll buy my own food because

11

42

Yeah

1

43

My wife will work. And I will

7

44

No, I I'm I'm just I didn't I didn't mean that

9

45

I was kidding, okay?

5

46

I want a wife

4

47

Um, the girl that that holds the case from XX

8

48

So I'm gonna marry that girl

7

49

Mm, light

1

50

I will let them whenever they want, do paint craft. They could paint on the walls.

17

Total Morphemes = 248

Total number of utterances = 50

MLU= 4.96

Language stage according to Brown = 5

B. Brown's Morphemes Analysis

Morpheme

Example

Present progressive ing

I was kidding (45)

In my bedroom (6)

On

They could paint on the walls. (50)

Regular Plural-s

They can write words (3)

Irregular past

I was kidding (45)

Possessive-s

Chuck E. Cheese's, Jungle Joe's (34, 35)

Uncontractible copula

That would be fine (4)