Derivational suffix productivity for students with and without language-learning disabilities

The effect of productivity (a correlate of suffix frequency) on students' derivational suffix use was investigated with students with and without language-learning disabilities (LLD). Sixty-nine elementary- to middle-school-age students participated in an elicitation task (in which they produced derived Forms) and a forced-choice task (in which they selected derived forms) to label nonsense objects and events. In each task, students used highly productive suffixes to convey a given meaning. For example, students used the highly productive suffix er rather than the less productive suffix ant to convey an agentive meaning and used the more productive suffix let instead of the unproductive suffix kin to convey a diminutive meaning. Also, productivity appeared to guide accuracy of suffix use across meanings. For example, the agentive suffix er was produced with much higher accuracy than the less productive diminutive suffix let. In general, patterns of performance within and across meanings were the same for students with and without LLD. LLD students were less accurate in determining the meanings conveyed by derivational suffixes than typically achieving students matched for chronological age. However, their performance was similar to typically achieving students with comparable language skills.