The linguistic exploration of children : playing with language through computer programming

Children's intuitions about the grammar of their language are resources which children can use to leverage understanding of formal grammatical concepts. In this thesis, I demonstrate how the Logo programming environment can be used to encourage and support children's intuitive explorations in the domain of formal linguistics. Computer programming was used to create a meaningful context in which formal grammatical concepts were introduced to children through the engagement and mobilization of their linguistic intuitions. To initially engage and mobilize children's linguistic intuitions, I made a computer program in which children could play at using their intuitions about the English language to figure out the basis of a turtle character's linguistic judgments. In the context of working to understand how my program was made, children arrived at a meaningful understanding of the formal linguistic concepts I had used to construct my computer program. Furthermore, children personally appropriated the formal linguistic concepts for the purpose of modifying my original program and making their own computer programs about language.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. Program In Media Arts and Sciences.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

1999

Author dc:creator

• Vaikakul, Savalai, 1976-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Seymour Papert.

• Architecture. Program In Media Arts and Sciences.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/62940

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/62940