Peer talk : children with specific language impairment in dyadic and group interactions

The research for this dissertation focused on how children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) use language in their interactions with peers. The study had three broad objectives: (1) to ascertain patterns of language use by the children with SLI in different contexts, (2) to evaluate the relationship of those patterns to difficulties in peer interaction reported in the literature, and (3) to explore the ramifications of groups composed uniquely of children with SLI for peer talk and peer interaction.The participants were several children (mean age 4 years, 10 months) enrolled in a preschool language program designed specifically for children with SLI. These children were observed in a number of contexts over a period of several weeks.The children with SLI were first observed in dyadic play with different conversational partners. Initiating and responding, communicative acts, and communication breakdowns were examined. Dyads composed of two children with SLI were more successful in some aspects of conversation, while mixed dyads, composed of one child with SLI and one with TLD, were more successful in others. The conversational behaviours of the children with SLI were, however, generally quite similar to their peers with TLD.The same children with SLI were observed during recess and during free play in their classroom. There were no significant differences in interactional patterns across the two group play contexts. In both contexts, the children with SLI spent significantly more time in interactive activity than in solitary activity, and most of that interaction was verbal. They tended, even during recess when other interlocutors were available, to talk and interact among themselves, and there was evidence of stable friendships within the SLI group.Snack, circle time, and pretend play sequences were also observed. A schema for the analysis of children's discourse was piloted. The analysis showed that the children with SLI used language for a variety of instrumental and interactional purposes, and did so in ways that were consistent with those reported in the literature for children with TLD.The combined results indicated pragmatic strengths and successful peer interaction in this group of children with SLI. These results can be explained by characteristics of the children and of the program in which they were enrolled