AUTHOR : Wen-Feng Lai,Hsuei-Yi Chen
INFORMATION : page. 99~122 / 2007 Vol.1 No.1
This study investigated the relationships between communication patterns and peer interactions of a six-year-old child born to V ietnamese immigrant parents in Taiwan. By case-study methodology, this study aimed to answer the following questions: (1) what are the characteristics of the child\'s communication patterns? And (2) what are the relationships of her communi - cation patterns and her peer interactions? The data were collected by obser - vations in the class and at home, and interviews with parents and teachers. To measure the child\'s language development and temperament, the following instruments were conducted: Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised, Test of Children\'s Expression Ability, and Temperament Assessment Battery for Children. Results suggested that, constrained by language experience at home, the child\'s communication skills were underdeveloped. She had limited vocabulary at her disposal and her speech was often incomprehensible. T he communication patterns included avoidance, verbal threats, and reporting to the teachers. Although her social status in the classroom was normal, the peer interactions were negatively affected by her communication patterns. T he implications of the findings were discussed and suggestions for future research were included.