Writing in Children, Adolescents, and Adults: a Study of Syntactic, Semantic, and Pragmatic Development

LSHSS

Persuasive Writing in Children, Adolescents, and Adults: A Study of Syntactic, Semantic, and Pragmatic Development

Marilyn A. Nippold

University of Oregon, Eugene

Jeannene M. Ward-Lonergan

University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA

Jessica L. Fanning

University of Oregon, Eugene

uring the 1960s and 1970s, most investigations of language development emphasized the spoken communication of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, charting and analyzing a broad range of syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic attainments. Since the 1980s, however, and continuing to the present, investigators have broadened their interests to include the spoken as well as the written language attainments of school-age children and adolescents, recognizing that

ABSTRACT: Purpose: Persuasive writing is a demanding task that requires the use of complex language to analyze, discuss, and resolve controversies in a way that is clear, convincing, and considerate of diverse points of view. This investigation examined selected aspects of later language development in the context of persuasive writing. The purpose of the study was to obtain current information that could be used to design collaborative instruction involving speech-language pathologists and classroom teachers. In schools today, these professionals often work closely together to facilitate students’ language development, including their ability to write persuasively. Method: Persuasive writing was investigated in typically developing children, adolescents, and adults (N = 180) whose mean ages were 11, 17, and 24 years, respectively. Each participant wrote an essay on the controversial topic of animals being trained to perform in circuses. Following this, the essays were examined in detail, focusing on selected aspects of syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic development. Results: Performance improved in each of these domains

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language continues to develop throughout childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood...