Abstract
It is argued that in order to identify the functional categories operative in a young child's linguistic system, it is necessary to adopt a data-oriented method of analysis involving: (1) an examination of the full range of situations in which functionally ambiguous linguistic expressions are being used by the child at any given time; & (2) an examination of the simultaneous developments that may occur in the use of particular linguistic expressions across different situations. These procedures are illustrated by a detailed analysis of children's language use to transfer objects & request actions (N = 2). Overall results of the functional analysis of the 2 Ss' early linguistic productions show that the adoption of this method can facilitate the identification of the different communication styles used by different children during the second year of life. Results are compared with those obtained in previous studies, & it is concluded that although the present method of analysis has certain limitations, it can assist in the derivation of more plausible functional interpretations of early child language than those derived in previous studies of early functional development. 8 Tables, Appendix. HA