If you have a child between the ages of 3- and 10-years old, we invite you to participate in one of our language studies. 

These studies seek to answer questions such as:

• How do children acquire the stress pattern (accent) of their native language?
• What cognitive mechanisms do they use to acquire a different language?
• Do young children use the same cognitive mechanisms as adults in learning a  second language?
• At what stage in their linguistic development do they fully attain the stress pattern of English?

Studies are conducted either in our lab here at Wellesley College or in your home or your child’s school, depending on the precise study and the age of your child.  Some of the studies require audiotaping or videotaping of your child for later linguistic analysis.  All of our studies have been reviewed and approved under federal guidelines for research involving children.

At this time, we are particularly interested in children between the ages of 7 and 10 to see how they learn a novel language.  Your child will be asked to learn words in an unfamiliar language by means of a video game.  This study takes about 35-40 minutes and you can observe your child during the study. 

If you would like to learn more about the study please download the Parent Information Letter and Consent Form.

Feel free to contact me at acarpent@wellesley.edu or by writing:  Angela Carpenter, Cognitive & Linguistic Sciences, Wellesley College, 106 Central Street, Wellesley, MA  02481

Much language research depends on insights gained from children’s language abilities. This research would not be possible without the help and cooperation of parents.  So we thank you for your interest.