Academic literature on the topic 'Systematic analysis of language transcripts (SALT)'

Purpose This tutorial discusses the importance of language sample analysis and how Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT) software can be used to simplify the process and effectively assess the spoken language production of adolescents. Method Over the past 30 years, thousands of language samples have been collected from typical speakers, aged 3–18 years, in conversational and narrative contexts. These samples have been formatted as reference databases included with SALT. Using the SALT software, individual samples are compared with age- and grade-matched samples selected from these databases. Results Two case studies illustrate that comparison with database samples of typical adolescents, matched by grade and elicitation context, highlights language measures that are higher or lower than the database mean values. Differences in values are measured in standard deviations. Conclusion Language sample analysis remains a powerful method of documenting language use in everyday speaking situations. A sample of talking reveals an individual's ability to meet specific speaking demands. These demands vary across contexts, and speakers can have difficulty in any one or all of these communication tasks. Language use for spoken communication is a foundation for literacy attainment and contributes to success in navigating relationships for school, work, and community participation.

Purpose This study explored the utility of language sample analysis for evaluating language ability in school-age Spanish–English sequential bilingual children. Specifically, the relative potential of lexical diversity and word/morpheme omission as predictors of typical or atypical language status was evaluated. Method Narrative samples were obtained from 48 bilingual children in both of their languages using the suggested narrative retell protocol and coding conventions as per Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT; Miller & Iglesias, 2008) software. An additional lexical diversity measure, VocD, was also calculated. A series of logistical hierarchical regressions explored the utility of the number of different words, VocD statistic, and word and morpheme omissions in each language for predicting language status. Results Omission errors turned out to be the best predictors of bilingual language impairment at all ages, and this held true across languages. Although lexical diversity measures did not predict typical or atypical language status, the measures were significantly related to oral language proficiency in English and Spanish. Conclusion The results underscore the significance of omission errors in bilingual language impairment while simultaneously revealing the limitations of lexical diversity measures as indicators of impairment. The relationship between lexical diversity and oral language proficiency highlights the importance of considering relative language proficiency in bilingual assessment.

Purpose This feasibility study examines the convergent and divergent validity of the Grammaticality and Utterance Length Instrument (GLi), a tool designed to assess the grammaticality and average utterance length of a child's prerecorded story retell. Method Three raters used the GLi to rate audio-recorded story retells from 100 English-speaking preschool children. To examine convergent validity, the results of the GLi were correlated with 2 language sample measures, mean length of utterance in words and percentage of grammatical utterances, and with the results of the Structured Photographic Expressive Language Test–Third Edition (Dawson, Stout, & Eyer, 2003). To examine divergent validity, the results of the GLi were correlated with the results of the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test–Second Edition (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2004). Comparisons between task completion time for the GLi and Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT; Miller & Iglesias, 2010) transcription and analysis were also conducted. Last, preliminary discriminant analysis was used to examine the diagnostic potential of the GLi. Results The results of this study provide evidence of convergent and divergent validity for the GLi. The task completion time for the GLi was considerably shorter than the SALT transcription and analysis. Preliminary analysis of diagnostic accuracy suggests that the GLi has the potential to be a good tool to identify children with language impairment. Discussion The GLi has good convergent and divergent validity and is a reliable instrument to assess utterance length and grammaticality of prerecorded language samples. However, SALT transcription and analysis provide a more detailed and comprehensive analysis of the language skills of a child.

Purpose This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a conversation-based intervention on the expressive vocabulary and grammatical skills of children with severe motor speech disorders and expressive language delay who use augmentative and alternative communication. Method Eight children aged from 8 to 13 years participated in the study. After a baseline period, a conversation-based intervention was provided for each participant, in which they were supported to learn and use linguistic structures essential for the formation of clauses and the grammaticalization of their utterances, such as pronouns, verbs, and bound morphemes, in the context of personally meaningful and scaffolded conversations with trained clinicians. The conversations were videotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using the Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT; Miller & Chapman, 1991). Results Results indicate that participants showed improvements in their use of spontaneous clauses, and a greater use of pronouns, verbs, and bound morphemes. These improvements were sustained and generalized to conversations with familiar partners. Conclusion The results demonstrate the positive effects of the conversation-based intervention for improving the expressive vocabulary and grammatical skills of children with severe motor speech disorders and expressive language delay who use augmentative and alternative communication. Clinical and theoretical implications of conversation-based interventions are discussed and future research needs are identified. Supplemental Materials https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5150113