Questions and Answers
What was the purpose of the Wug Test?
Who conducted the Wug Test?
Jean Burko-Gleason
What were children able to demonstrate in the Wug Test?
Implicit knowledge of English patterns for making noun plurals and verb tenses
The Wug Test involves the child being presented with a drawing of an unfamiliar creature and told, 'this is a _____'.
Signup and view all the answers
What do children say when shown two wugs?
Signup and view all the answers
Which of the following is NOT a plural allomorph?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the most general form of plural allomorph?
Signup and view all the answers
Which plural allomorph appears after voiceless consonants?
Signup and view all the answers
Which plural allomorph appears after sibilants?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
The Wug Test Overview
- Conducted by Jean Burko-Gleason in 1958 to explore language acquisition in English-speaking children.
- Aimed to study children's understanding and application of plural forms and other inflectional morphemes.
Experiment Design
- Involved presenting a child with a drawing of a fictional creature called a "wug."
- The child is asked to pluralize the term upon seeing a second wug.
Findings on Language Acquisition
- Burko demonstrated that children recognize and apply underlying language patterns rather than mimicry.
- Children displayed implicit knowledge of English morphological rules by correctly pluralizing nonsense words.
Responses to the Test
- Successful participants use "wugs" when pluralizing, indicating they grasp regular pluralization rules.
- Illustrates understanding of when to apply specific plural allomorphs based on phonetic context.
Plural Allomorphs Explained
- Major forms of plural allomorphs are /Z/, /S/, and /tZ/.
- /Z/ serves as the default plural form, as in "dogs."
- /S/ is used for voiceless consonants, exemplified in "cats."
- /tZ/ occurs after sibilant sounds, seen in "horses."
Implications of the Study
- Supports the theory that children learn language by internalizing rules from their environment.
- Highlights the cognitive ability of children to generalize language rules to new word forms.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Explore the groundbreaking Wug Test conducted by Jean Burko-Gleason in 1958. This quiz delves into children's understanding of pluralization and morphological rules through innovative experimental design. Discover how children apply linguistic patterns rather than simple mimicry.
