Experimental methods to study child language

Researchers interested in child language development face the challenge of designing experimental language studies that are simultaneously feasible for young children and provide valid insights into children’s developing linguistic representations and processing. This chapter lays out how these challenges can be overcome, focussing on: (1) production studies into child phonology and phonetics and (2) comprehension studies into children’s developing syntax and semantics. Per domain, a selection of child-friendly paradigms is introduced, and the choice between paradigms is considered in terms of suitability for both the research question and the age group under study. Furthermore, the design of stimuli and procedures for children’s non-adult-like linguistic abilities is discussed. Researchers interested in children’s acquisition of other linguistic domains are encouraged to extrapolate the considerations laid out in this chapter to design feasible and valid experiments for any aspect of child language.