The Effect of Language Proficiency and Question Type on Children’s Response Accuracy

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics, English Department, University of Neyshabur, Neyshabur, Iran

2 Graduate Student in Applied Linguistics, English Department, University of Neyshabur, Neyshabur, Iran

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to examine the accuracy with which young children respond to different types of questions. Additionally, the study explored whether the children’s language development affects their response accuracy. They study was conducted in two kindergartens in Neyshabur, Iran, and the sample consisted of 25 Persian-speaking young children aged 3 to 6 years, who participated in the study by listening to a short story and answering 24 questions of varying types. The analysis of the results revealed that children's language proficiency significantly influenced the accuracy of their responses, with more proficient children providing more accurate answers. Further analysis of the results showed that children provided the most accurate answers to yes/no questions. Forced-choice questions elicited more accurate responses than open-ended questions. These findings suggest that children's limited language proficiency and their restricted memory span may constrain the reliability of their responses to certain types of questions.

Keywords

References

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Applied Linguistics Inquiry
Volume 2, Issue 1
March 2024
Pages 114-122

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History

  • Receive Date: 25 October 2023
  • Revise Date: 22 November 2023
  • Accept Date: 10 February 2024

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