Developpement et fonction des expressions modales langagieres dans des situations naturelles d'interaction chez le jeune enfant
Institution:
Paris 8Disciplines:
Directors:
Abstract EN:
Early acquisition of verbal modalities was studied by means of a theoretical and methodological original paradigm. A longitudinal study of three young children, each obsverved at 2;0, 2;6 and 3;0 years, was conducted in five natural situations where the child was interacting with his mother either at the day-nursery place (two different plays) or at home (play, meal and bedtime). Verbal productions have been analysed by means of an adapted taxinomy built from a critical overview of linguistic studies dealing with modalities, and also by means of an analysis of interactive sequences. Results point that production of verbal modalities emerged as soon as two years of age and regularly increased in the studied period (between 2 and 3 years). This development was both quantitative and qualitative. Some modal categories (evaluative, volitional and affective) were more precocious and better developed. Others as epistemic, deontic and ontological possibity categories appeared later and were less important. Situations were also playing a role in the child's productions. The frequency of the child's production of verbal modalities was not directly related to mother's modalisation. A significant proportion of modal productions were expressed at the first person at the begining of the observation (two years old children). Such a result is in contradiction with gopnik's recent assessement. Children verbal modalities appeared at the begining jointly with their mother' modalities, during interactive verbal exchanges dealing with action or comments about situations and actors or, later, they were producted in disconnection with the present material situation. Analyses of verbal sequences clearly shows that they were functional for regulation, and also referred effectively to mental states as soon as two years of age. Results were interpreted through bruner's and vygotsky's concept of scafolding and within a developmental problematics of intentionality.
Abstract FR:
L'acquisition precoce des modalites langagieres a ete etudiee au moyen d'une approche theorique et methodologique originales. Une etude longitudinale des productions de trois jeunes enfants observes chacun a 3 niveaux d'age (2,0 ans, 2;6 ans et 3;0 ans) a ete realisee a partir de 5 situations naturelles d'interaction avec la mere a la creche (jeux libres et jeu specifique) et au domicile (jeux, repas et coucher). Les propos recueillis ont ete analyses au moyen d'une grille construite a partir d'un examen critique des travaux des linguistes portant sur les modalites ainsi qu'au moyen d'une analyse des differentes sequences interactives. Les resultats montrent que les expressions modales apparaissent des l'age de 2 ans et se developpent de maniere significative dans la periode consideree (2 a 3 ans). Ce developpement est a la fois quantitatif et qualitatif. Certaines categories modales (evaluatifs, bouliques et thymiques) sont plus precoces et developpees. D'autres categories (epistemiques, deontiques, ontiques etc. ) sont plus tardives et moins frequentes. Les situations jouent un role important. La frequence des productions modales de l'enfant n'est pas directement liee a la seule frequence de celle de la mere. Ces productions modales de l'enfant sont exprimees, pour part significative, a la premiere personne des l'age de 2 ans, ce qui va a l'encontre d'une these developpee anterieurement par gopnik. Les productions modales de l'enfant apparaissent des le depart conjointement avec celles de la mere dans les sequences interactives qui peuvent porter sur l'action, des commentaires lies a la situation et aux personnages ou, plus tardivement, sont produites dans le cadre d'echanges en grande partie detaches de l'activite en cours. L'analyse de ces diverses sequences permet de montrer la fonctionnalite et la realite de la reference au fonctionnement mental des expressions modales produites par l'enfant des l'age de 2 ans. Les resultats ont ete interpretes a la lumiere du concept brunerien et vygotskien d'etayage et dans le cadre d'une problematique actuelle du developpement de l'intentionnalite.