Acquisition of the Passive by Setswana-speaking Preschoolers

This study investigates the acquisition of the passive by 114 Setswana-speaking pre-schoolers. Comprehension and production of the passive was examined in terms of age, passive categories and length. Research indicates that the passive develops earlier in Bantu languages than in Indo-European languages. Study tasks consisted of Comprehension 2 (C2) and 3 character tasks (C3) and Elicited Production (EP) and Imitation (EI) tasks. Participants were tested at 3 crèches in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Participants were divided into 3 age groups 2.6 – 3.5 years, 3.6 – 4.5 years and 4.6 – 5.5 years. Their performance was compared to adult verifiers. On C2 tasks significant differences between age groups were found. No significant results were found on C3 or EP tasks. On EI tasks there were significant difference among the groups. The results showed variability among tasks. The results for C2 and C3 tasks were at above chance. The EP task was unsuccessful. However, the EI task confirmed the diagnostic value of this measure. The type of passive did influence performance but this was task dependent.