What are some of the typical errors spanish speaking children make as toddlers?

Question

When children are learning to speak english (as their native language), there are some typical errors that they tend to make (that adults usually view as "cute"!).

They often add "ed" to the end of all verbs until they learn the irregular ones (for example, "I runned" instead of "I ran"). They may add "es" to all words to make them plural, until they learn the irregular ones (for example, "leafes" instead of "leaves"). They often use "me" as the subject of a sentence intstead of "I".

What are some of the typical errors spanish speaking children make as toddlers?

• Excellent question! - webdunce Sep 16, 2009
• Probably cannot handle some nouns like rr, ll, ñ, etc. - Zoltán Sep 16, 2009

Answer 1

There is substantial debate over whether language is inherited or learned but it actually appears that the instinct to speak is natural but language is both. Children look for patterns early. That is why, for example, in English you will hear children say things like we goed to the beach instead of "we went" to the beach. They learned the verb to go from hearing it from their parents but they never heard the word "goed" for went. Their brains are looking for patterns and they have to be taught the concept of irregular verbs. The same is true in every single language and has been studied at length. So, even though I have no personal experience, I can guaranty you that children learning Spanish from native speakers say things like "tú iste" for "you went" until they learn that it is "fue" (I'm stating a concept here rather than something specific with respect to the forms of "ir" so don't slam me with all the reasons a child wouldn't say tú iste. Maybe they would say digé with a hard g for "said' instead of dice. The point remains valid nonetheless and children in every language make identical mistakes based on expected patters when they are learning.)

• guaranty-nice mix of warranty and guarantee Very nice post. - qfreed Sep 16, 2009

Answer 2

I wonder if language classes should focus on these patterns and not introduce the irregulars until after the patterns are well learned.
In the early grades of school these days, kids are encouraged to write, even if they can't spell the words they want - they sound them out phonetically. They learn the irregular spellings later. Some insist this not only encourages writing, but also leads to better spelling later. But in language classes, teachers insist on correct spelling and grammar (as much as has been taught) from the beginning. Maybe that is why it seems so hard to learn all the rules? It's hard to see and memorize the patterns when the exceptions are so distracting. Maybe it would be easier to learn the rules (and apply them incorrectly) for the first level or two of a foreign language, and then learn the exceptions later? That way the rules would become second nature before learning the exceptions?

• That's a very interesting idea. - webdunce Sep 16, 2009
• Kids who are learning English as a second language in school are often taught that way. :) I think that adults learn differently from children. - Valerie Sep 16, 2009
• I was thinking about middle school and high school students. Most hate foreign language because they can never get the answers perfectly right. - schub Sep 21, 2009

Answer 3

Ha this post brings a smile to my face, I taught English to some fairly young spanish kids last year... I always used to catch them out getting the irregular past participles of romper and poner wrong.

'He ponido la mesa' (It should be 'he puesto la mesa')

'He rompido la mesa' (It should be 'he roto la mesa')

And they never believe me when I correct them - how would an English teacher know more Spanish than them after all?!! They also tend to mix up the pronouns; 'me se ha caido', instead of 'se me ha caido' for example. Another regular was 'he escribido'.

• "And they never believe me when I correct them..." haw! - webdunce Sep 16, 2009
• I feel so much better about my mixing up the pronouns now! Thanks for the response! - schub Sep 16, 2009

Answer 4

Maybe knowing the patterns the toddlers pick up on would help adults approach learning the language? Just a thought.

At the very least, it can help us find out some the boundaries of what makes something intelligible or unintelligible in Spanish. Common mistakes that children make, we can make and still be understood. If we mis-conjugate an irregular verb or mix up our pronouns now and then, no sweat.

• That's true too.... - schub Sep 16, 2009

Answer 5

There are some readily available books on the subject. The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker, How the Mind Works by Steven Pinker, The Language Instinct Debate by Geoffrey Sampson, Words and Rules, by Steven Pinker and The Power of Babel, by John McWhorter.

• I read 1 or 2 of Pinker's books - I don't remember any specific patterns for different languages....I'll have to check out the others! :) Thanks! - schub Sep 16, 2009
• Pinker's *The Language Instinct* IS the textbook for a psycholinguistics class I'm taking this semester. I was already a Chomsky devotee, now I'm a Pinker fan as well! - dan8 Sep 16, 2009

Answer 6

I agree. I have a background in developmental psychology - so I would expect the same pattern learning in all languages. I was just wondering what patterns the toddlers picked up on, especially when it comes to direct object / indirect object use, verb endings, etc. Maybe knowing the patterns the toddlers pick up on would help adults approach learning the language? Just a thought.

• Also excellent...wow! - webdunce Sep 16, 2009
• Toddlers are the masters of learning a language. - webdunce Sep 16, 2009

Answer 7

One thing I've noticed, though, is that toddlers receive an amazing amount of support and encouragement when they make clumsy language mistakes because people are just so proud of their every attempt. However, adults would receive ridicule for the same mistakes, saying "goed" for "went" for example.

• Depends on who you hang around :) My very patient, kind, Spanish speaking friends smiled and gently corrected my incorrect use of "rompido" jejeje. - Valerie Sep 16, 2009

Answer 8

There are some books on the subject that are readily available. One is called The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker. When I was looking for it on Amazon I noticed that there is a Wikipedia entry on the book that gives an overview. I'll post the link below. Pinker also wrote Words and Rules, The Ingredients of Languages. Other books that touch on the subject and are popular (outside of linguistics departments) are The Power of Babel by McWhorter and The Language Instinct Debate by Geoffry Sampson.

The Wikipedia link is:

link text

• I will look at the ones I haven't read yet! I was really hoping to get some examples of mistakes that kids make learning spanish...I will look in the books to see if I can find any. - schub Sep 16, 2009