74. Nanette is a preschooler who says, 'We goed to the store.' Which of the following features of language development does Nanette's utterance demonstrate?
Answer: D
Nanette's utterance demonstrates overregularization.
Nanette's statement, 'We goed to the store,' illustrates overregularization, a common phenomenon in language development where children apply regular grammatical rules to irregular verbs.
A) Underextension
Underextension occurs when a child uses a word too narrowly, such as calling only their own pet dog a "dog" while not applying the term to other dogs. This does not apply to Nanette's case as her error is not about limiting a word's application but rather misapplying a grammatical rule.
B) Overextension
Overextension involves using a word in a broader context than is appropriate, such as calling all four-legged animals "dogs." This is not relevant to Nanette's utterance since she is not extending the meaning of a word but incorrectly applying verb conjugation rules instead.
C) Telegraphic speech
Telegraphic speech describes the use of short, simple phrases that contain only essential words, typical in early language development, like "Want cookie." Nanette's complete sentence does not fit this description, as it includes unnecessary grammatical elements that demonstrate her understanding of sentence structure.
D) Overregularization
Overregularization is when children apply regular grammatical patterns to irregular forms, such as saying "goed" instead of "went." Nanette's usage exemplifies this developmental stage where she incorrectly applies the regular past tense rule to an irregular verb.
E) Fast mapping
Fast mapping refers to the quick process by which children learn new words after only a brief encounter. This concept does not relate to Nanette's utterance, as her statement does not involve learning new vocabulary but rather applying a grammatical rule incorrectly.
Conclusion
Nanette's use of "goed" clearly illustrates overregularization, as she misapplies a regular verb form to an irregular verb. Other options do not accurately describe her linguistic error, reinforcing that her utterance is a classic example of this specific language development feature. Understanding overregularization helps educators recognize common patterns in children's language acquisition.