Language Development and Language Impairment

Understanding Development and Disorder in Cantonese Using Language Sample Analysis synthesizes over two decades of research on typical language development and Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) in Cantonese-speaking children. The book offers a linguistically grounded and clinically relevant exploration of Cantonese, a major variety of Chinese, and introduces an innovative framework—the Grammatical Analysis of Cantonese Samples (GACS). By combining functionalist and usage-based theories with detailed language sample analysis, the text bridges theory, research, and practice, providing a robust foundation for understanding both typical development and language disorder in a non-Indo-European language context.

Key Features:

• Clear overview of Cantonese linguistic characteristics relevant to child language analysis.
• Introduction of the Grammatical Analysis of Cantonese Samples (GACS), grounded in functionalist and usage-based theories.
• Quantitative and qualitative analysis of preschool Cantonese language development using real language samples.
• Detailed linguistic profile of a Cantonese-speaking child with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD).
• Practical guidance on identifying grammatical patterns, error types, and selecting intervention targets based on analysis.
• Valuable contribution to typological diversity in child language development and disorder research.
• Suitable for speech and language therapy students and practitioners, early childhood educators, linguistics students, and researchers in child language development.