Language play is a normal and frequent part of adult and child behav
iour. This paper characterizes the phenomenon of language play in
adults, examines the ways in which children make use of it, suggests
developmental stages, and discusses its relation to linguistic and meta
linguistic awareness. Its importance in child development is emphasized,
and points of connection with issues in language pathology and the
teaching of reading are explored. The paper suggests that a focus on
language play can help to bridge the gap between the world of the
home/playground and that of the clinic/classroom.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Augarde, T.1984: The Oxford guide to word games. Oxford : Oxford University Press.
2.
Baker, C.D. and Freebody, P.1989: Children's first school books. Oxford : Blackwell.
3.
Bruner, J.1984: Language, mind, and reading. In Goelman, H., Oberg, A. and Smith, F., editors, Awakening to literacy , Exeter, NH: Heinemann.
4.
Bryant, P. and Bradley, L.1985: Children's reading problems. Oxford : Blackwell.
5.
Cazden, C.B.1976: Play with language and metalinguistic awareness: one dimension of language experience. In Bruner, J., Jolly, J. and Sylva, K., editors, Play: its role in development and evolution, New York: Basic Books.
6.
Chiaro, D.1992: The language of jokes: analysing verbal play. London: Routledge.
7.
Chukovsky, K.1963: From two to five. Berkeley: University of California Press.
8.
Clay, M.M.1979: Reading: the patterning of complex behaviour, 2nd edn. London: Heinemann .
9.
Cowan, N.1989: Acquisition of Pig Latin: a case study. Journal of Child Language16, 365-386.
10.
Cowan, N. and Leavitt, L.A.1987: The developmental course of two children who could talk backward five years ago. Journal of Child Language14, 393-5.
11.
Crystal, D.1986: Prosodic development. In Fletcher, P. and Garman, M., editors, Language acquisition, 2nd edn, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press .
12.
— 1995: The Cambridge encyclopedia of the English language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
13.
Ely, R. and McCabe, A.1994: The language play of kindergarten children. First Language14, 19-35.
14.
Ezell, H.K. and Jarzynka, M.A.1996: An intervention for enhancing children's understanding of jokes and riddles. Child Language Teaching and Therapy12, 148-163.
15.
Ferguson, C.A. and Macken, M.A.1983: The role of play in phonological development. In Nelson, K. E., editor, Children's language, Vol. 4, Hillsdale : Erlbaum.
16.
Ferreiro, E. and Teberosky, A.1983: Literacy before schooling. London: Heinemann.
17.
Fletcher, P. and Garman, M., editors, 1986: Language acquisition, 2nd edn. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
18.
Fletcher, P. and MacWhinney, B., editors. 1995: The handbook of child language . Oxford: Blackwell.
19.
Fowles, B. and Glanz, M.E.1977: Competence and talent in verbal riddle comprehension. Journal of Child Language4, 433-452.
20.
Gardner, H., Kircher, M., Winner, E. and Perkins, D.1975: Children's metaphoric productions and preferences. Journal of Child Language2, 125-141.
21.
Garvey, C.1977: Play with language and speech. In Ervin-Tripp, S. and Mitchell-Kernan, C. , editors, Child discourse, New York : Academic Press.
22.
Hirsh-Pasek, K., Gleitman, L.R. and Gleitman, H.1978: What did the brain say to the mind? A study of the detection and report of ambiguity by young children. In Jarvella, R. J. and Levelt, W. J. M., editors, The child's concept of language, New York : Springer.
23.
Keenen, E.O.1974: Conversational competence in children. Journal of Child Language1, 163-183.
24.
Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, B., editor. 1976: Speech play: research and resources for studying linguistic creativity, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
25.
Leonard, L.B.1987: Is specific language impairment a useful construct? In Rosenberg, S., editor, Advances in applied psycholinguistics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
26.
North, C. and Parker, M.1994: Teaching phonological awareness. Child Language Teaching and Therapy10, 247-257.
27.
Opie, I. and Opie, P.1959: The language and lore of schoolchildren. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
28.
Parkinson, E. and Gorrie, B.1995: Teaching phonological awareness and reading. Child Language Teaching and Therapy11, 127-143.
29.
Rescorla, L. and Goossens, M.1992: Symbolic play: development in toddlers with expressive specific language impairment (SLI-E). Journal of Speech and Hearing Research35, 1290-1302.
30.
Sanches, M. and Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, B.1976: Children's traditional speech play and child language. In Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, B., editor, Speech play: research and resources for studying linguistic creativity, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
31.
Snow, C.1986: Conversations with children. In Fletcher, P. and Garman, M., editors, Language acquisition, 2nd edn., Cambridge: Cambridge University Press .
32.
Sutton-Smith, B.1976: A developmental structural account of riddles. In Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, B., editor, Speech play: research and resources for studying linguistic creativity, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
33.
Stanovich, K.E.1987: Introduction: Children's reading and the development of phonological awareness. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly33 (3), special issue.
34.
Weir, R.H.1962: Language in the crib. The Hague: Mouton.
35.
Wolfenstein, M.1954: Children's humor: a psychological analysis. Glencoe: Free Press.
