Researching Latvian Child Language

Introduction The scientific article is an analytical overview of history of child language as new research branch launched in Latvia, indicating significance and future perspective of this direction. Aim of the study The aim of the research is to analyse and substantiate the history, strategy and perspective of child's language studies in Latvia. Materials and methods The traditional methods used in researches of child language in Latvia - research observation, questionnaires, theoretic analysis of interviews, writing down and classification of vocabulary in form of dictionaries, approbation of conclusions in meetings and reviews, as well as instrumental speech analysis methods. The article uses materials on previous research of child's language in Latvia. Results Before establishment of the Child's Language Research Centre of the Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy (RTTEMA), mostly separate articles were dedicated to child language studies in Latvia. In September 2006, regulations of the Child's Language Research Centre were approved by decision of Senate of the Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy, and on 5 January 2007, the centre was officially registered at the Ministry of Education and Science. Researchers have worked with the following branches: child's language in mixed families, enrichment of child's language in circumstances of culture interaction and society consolidation, child multilingualism in Latvia, signs of social changes in child language, games and plays for development of child language, language in fiction and teaching aids for children, marks of child literary creativity, child language as an object of philological research and typology of child language. The field of research has been extended to analysis of adolescent language, as well as solutions for development and perfection of child language are being searched in cooperation with specialists from psychology and language pathology. Results of child language studies are published in monographs, one collection of articles and many articles, as well as works of popular-science; recommendations have been provided to specialists of preschool education and children's parents. Samples and records of children's speech at various ages are collected and analysed, the first dictionary of child's language has been prepared for publication; this empiric material will be of use for researchers of various fields. Approbation of methods for acoustic analysis of child's language is carried out. Conclusions As a result of activities of the Child's Language Research Centre of the Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy research of child' language in Latvia has developed into purposeful and stable field of research. This is a complex field of research based on results acquired by specialists from pedagogy, linguistics and psychology. Language serves needs of child's expression and communication in compliance with the individual wo