Abstract
Language sample analysis can be used normatively to evaluate the extent and nature of children's language disorders. This strategy is particularly valuable for languages where standardized tests are not available. A number of computer programs have been created to streamline the analysis process. This paper describes the adaptation of one such program, SALT (Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts), for use with children who are learning Turkish as a first language. The reference database is described and features of the program are illustrated with data from four clinical cases. Profiles that compare relative delays in various linguistic domains indicated significant difficulties with grammatical morphology, especially nominal inflections, and widely varying lexical competence. These and other facts about language disorders in children learning Turkish may ultimately change our understanding of the nature of language learning and disorder, whether viewed from a psychological or a linguistic perspective.
Notes
1 The SALT program is a product of The Language Analysis Laboratory, a nonprofit research lab located at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The goals of the Laboratory are to ‘promote the use of language sample analysis as a sensitive measure of language performance in context’ and to ‘meet the needs of clinicians and researchers … around the world by creating specific analyses for investigators and working with individuals interested in creating transcription and analysis routines for languages other than English’. Persons who wish to propose development projects should contact the Language Analysis Laboratory directly. http://www.languageanalysislab.com