Production of conjunctions and T-units by the elderly

Recent research indicates a change in healthy elderly adult language capabilities. More specifically, Shadden (1997) and Ryan (1996) state that language competence is less affected by the processes of aging than production. The topic of this research examined specifically the production of conjunctions from the perspective of Halliday and Hasan (1976) in procedural and narrative discourse by the elderly. The hypothesis stated that the relationship between age and conjunctions produced would be non-significant. In a cross-sectional study, 17 subjects between the ages of 60-86 were interviewed and the transcripts analyzed.;Results supported the hypothesis of a non-significant relationship between age and conjunctions produced. However, the size of the tested sample limited the statistical significance of the results. Finally, factors and study limitations were examined and discussed in order to provide explanations for patterns in the results and to provide solutions for use in future research.

Name thesis:degree_name

MA

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

World Languages, Literatures and Linguistics

Year dc:date.available

2005

Author dc:creator

• Haymond, Benjamin

Contributors dc:contributor

• Johan Seynnaeve.
• Johan Seynnaeve
• Sandra Stjepanovic

• Linguistics
• Theology
• Gerontology

Identifier

https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/858

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:researchrepository.wvu.edu:etd-1861