Audiol. 2013;22(1):58-66.

Research Article

The evaluation of 4-6 year-old Persian-speaking childrens

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ability to comprehend and express wh-questions

Rezvan Akbari Mani1, Nahid Jalilevand1, Ali Ghorbani1, Mohammad Kamali2, Mohammad Reza
Razavi3
1

- Department of Speech therapy, School of Rehabilitation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran
- Department of Rehabilitation Management, School of Rehabilitation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences,
Iran
3
- Department of Linguistic, Academy of Persian Language and Literature, Tehran, Iran
2

Received: 22 December 2011, accepted: 8 August 2012

Abstract
Background and Aim: Studies have shown that most children before age 4 are able to comprehend
and express wh-question. In the Persian language, a case study has confirmed these results. The aim of
this study is to evaluate the ability of 4-6 year olds to comprehend and express wh-question.
Methods: Seventy two 4-6 year-old Persian-speaking children were selected randomly. Wh-words
consist of: what, where, who, why, and when. In the part of comprehension subjects answered
questions about two pictures, and in the part of expression they asked questions elicited by a speaking
puppet about four pictures. Descriptive analysis and students t-test were used for data analysis.
Results: In comprehension 4-6 year-old children gained the complete score (2) with SD=0 in all whwords. However, 4-5 year old children gained the score of 1.89 with SD of 0.32 for the word when. In
expression, independent t-test showed the maximum score of 3.52 with SD of 0.84 related to questions
with who. 5-6 and 4-5 year old subjects had significant differences in questions with what (p=0.005),
where (p=0.003), who (p=0.012), and when (p<0.001). Most errors were expressed in question with
when.
Conclusion: Subjects of this study had the ability to comprehend and express wh-words.
Comprehension of wh-words is easy for 4-6 year-old children; they are able to use them in questions,
but have some application errors.
Keywords: Children, question words, comprehension, expression, Persian language

Corresponding author: Department of Speech therapy, School of Rehabilitation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences,
Nezam Alley, Shahid Shahnazari St., Madar Square, Mirdamad Blvd., Tehran, 15459-13487, Iran. Tel: 009821-222280512 ext. 153, E-mail: n.jalilevand@iums.ac.ir

 22 1392 1

4-6
3

1 1 1 2

: /where/ /what/ /who/

. . 4-6
.
: 72 4-6 . /era/ /ki/ /koja/ /i/ /key/.
.
. t .
: 4-5 /key/
1/89 0/32 . 3/52 0/84 /ki/ 5-6
4-5 /key/ /ki/ p<0/001 /koja/ p=0/012 p=0/003 /i/ p=0/005 .
/key/.
: . /koja/i/key/era/ki/ 4-6
.
:
) 90/10/1 :(91/5/18 :

.

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) what( ) where(
) who() whose ( ) which(
) when() how ( ) why(
) .(2 12-22
/what/
/where/ ) .(3
2-2/5 3-4

:
15459-13487 : 021-22228051-2 : E-mail: n.jalilevand@iums.ac.ir 153

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1
2
3

60

22 1392 1

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/why/ /what/ /how/

) (4 31-32
)4.(5
Lee (1983) ashmor

/why/ /who/ /where/
/what-do/ /how/ /when/ .
.

/how/ /why/ /who/ /what-do/ /where/
./when/ /how/
/why/ /when/ .
/what-do/ /where/ /who/
/how/ /why/ ./when/ /who/
)de .(6
(2004) Villiers

. /what/
/why/ /where/ /who/ /how/ .

).(7
Rowland (2003) Pine

2/3 4/10
.


) Rowland .(8 ) (2005

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is are do
).(9
36 (2004) Chan Hang Yee
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.
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1/5
. 30-36
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36 .
/ku/ /iye/
. /era/
/ejuri/ .
/i/ /ku/ /koja/
).(12

/i/

)2 (0

/koja/

)2 (0

/ki/

)2 (0

/era/

)2 (0

/key/

)1/89 (0/333

.
72
4-5 ) 36 4/7 (2/7 5-6
) 36 5/6 (2/3.



.
.

) (
.
) (Content Validity Ratio: CVR

) (CVR=1 .

.

.
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.
Lee (2004) de Villiers (1983) Ashmore Chan
(2004) Hang Yee


) .(10
:

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t
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22 1392 1

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) (

61

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3.8

3.6

3.5
3

3.4
2.5

3.2

2
1.5

2.8

0.5

2.6
/era/ /key/

/koja/ /ki/

/i/

0
/key/

/era/

/ki/

/koja/

/i/

. /i/
/ki/ /koja/ /era/
/key/ 4-5
1/89 0/333 .
)
( 4-6
1 .

t .

/era/ /ki/ /koja/ /i/
/key/
).(p=0/154


/ki/ 3/52 0/84
.
/era/ /braye i/

/koja/ /ku/ /key/

/e moqe/ .

1 .
t


) /i/ /koja/ p=0/8
/ki/ p=0/8 /era/ p=0/1 p=0/3 /key/ .(p=0/6
2

.

5-6
4-5
(p=0/012)/ki/ (p=0/003)/koja/ (p=0/005)/i/
(p<0/001)/key/ .
/era/
) .(p=0/054 3

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63

/key/

/era/

/ki/

/koja/

/i/

/key/

/era/

/ki/

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4-5 5-6

4-5 5-6
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. 4

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22 1392 1

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4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0

3.7
3.6
3.5
3.4
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3.2
3.1
3
2.9
2.8
2.7

64

22 1392 1

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) (2010)122 .(14
4-6
.

) (2010
).(12
/i/
/ki/ /koja/ /era/ )(
94/45 /key/ )(
.
/ki/ /koja/ /i/ .
.
(1989) Lee 33
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.
5-6
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65

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