Development of Connective Endings Use in Spontaneous Language of 2-6-Year-Old Children

Objectives: Connective endings play an important role not only in producing complex sentences but also in logically expressing thoughts. The purpose of this study was to examine the development of the use of connective endings in the spontaneous language of children aged 2-6. Methods: A total of 250 children aged 2 to 6 participated in the study, in groups of 50 by age group. Spontaneous language samples were collected between the examiner and the children via a semi-structured conversation procedure in which the topic of conversation and the examiner’s conversational behavior were controlled. The total number of connective endings, number of connective endings by subcategory and by subtype were measured by extracting 50 utterances from each child’s language sample. Results: (1) The total number of connective endings (CE) and the numbers of the three CE categories increased significantly according to age and the significant differences were observed before and after the age of 4. (2) In the subtypes of CE, auxiliary and closing connective endings were the most frequently used in all age groups, and closing connective endings significantly increased from 2 to 4 years old. However, there was no significant difference in the use of auxiliary connective endings according to age because they were used frequently from the age of 2. (3) The total number of CE (39.4%), and the subordinate category (40.9%) among the three CE categories; cause (31.3%), purpose (9.6%), choice (5.5%), list (2.4%) among the subtypes of CE explained age. Conclusion: The study confirmed that the developmental pattern of the use of connective endings in spontaneous language of the children aged 2-6. We discussed the academic and clinical implication of the result and suggest the needs of the follow-up study.