Humanwissenschaftliche Fakultät :: Universität zu Köln

FBZ-UK

Language Use of English Speaking Students

(Boenisch, 2011-2013)

Abstract:

Vocabulary selection presents numerous challenges for professionals working with individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Professionals aim to select vocabulary that is relevant, age appropriate and facilitative of social interaction and language development. To that end, they often rely on lists of core vocabulary words elaborated from typically developing children or adults. This study analyzes the core vocabulary used by typically developing school-aged children in the United States. The language of typically developing children, some of whom spoke English as a second language was recorded, transcribed and analyzed to identify the most frequently used words across samples.

For more information see:

Boenisch, J./Soto, G. (2015): The oral core vocabulary of typically developing English-speaking school-aged children. In: Augmentative and Alternative Communication 1/2015, 77-84.

Native speakers (Grades 2 - 8; n = 27; total words: 98,053)			ESL Speakers (Grades 2 - 8; n = 10; total words: 19,318)
Rank	Word	Word frequency	Rank	Word	Word frequency
1	be	7097	1	be	1322
2	I	4261	2	I	1067
3	it	3377	3	it	701
4	you	3266	4	you	678
5	do	2426	5	do	596
6	a	2200	6	not	421
7	not	2099	7	to	419
8	to	2093	8	like	383
9	the	2080	9	that	340
10	that	1663	10	what	329
11	no	1339	11	the	328
12	and	1311	12	go	317
13	go	1286	13	yeah	297
14	have	1231	14	this	292
15	what	1173	15	no	281
16	like	1158	16	one	253
17	oh	1087	17	oh	228
18	this	1077	18	get	221
19	my	1002	19	and	220
20	can	994	20	my	202
21	get	962	21	know	194
22	we	882	22	me	179
23	know	827	23	have	172
24	me	803	24	we	168
25	in	761	25	can	167
26	yeah	719	26	on	160
27	one	706	27	here	145
28	just	677	28	in	132
28	on	677	29	a	130
30	so	668	30	he	120
31	ok, okay	658	31	yes	112
32	he	645	32	ok/okay	103
33	of	629	33	say	101
34	they	576	34	look	97
35	yes	549	35	hey	95
36	there	539	35	let	95
37	say	525	36	she	94
38	here	461	37	good	89
39	will	450	38	there	89
40	for	441	39	come	82
41	look	440	39	right	82
42	want	430	41	now	81
43	your	428	41	put	81
44	but	425	43	at	79
45	because	393	43	make	79
46	see	391	43	your	79
47	at	374	46	so	77
48	make	344	47	up	74
49	how	342	48	how	73
50	wait	337	48	with	73
51	then	332	50	just	70
52	think	319	51	they	69
53	really	306	52	wait	67
54	she	299	53	of	66
55	with	291	53	us	66
56	right	290	55	want	65
57	if	289	56	but	64
58	up	275	57	see	63
59	now	273	58	alright	60
60	all	257	59	dude	57
61	good	251	59	two	57
62	let	246	61	for	55
63	two	246	62	because	54
64	why	231	63	time*	52
65	people	220	64	play	51
66	hey	219	64	take	51
67	guy	216	66	then	50
67	out	216	67	man	48
69	where	211	68	three	47
70	come	209	69	eat	45
70	thing	207	69	where	45
72	who	204	71	too	44
73	time*	203	71	why	44
74	second*	200	73	dang	42
75	record*	199	73	minute*	42
76	them	195	75	think	42
77	three	193	76	more	41
78	tell	188	77	her	40
79	need	187	78	out	39
80	too	182	78	second*	39
81	us	181	80	five	38
82	talk	180	80	tell	38
82	when	180	82	first	37
84	take	179	82	or	37
85	minute*	178	84	mine	36
85	or	177	84	pass	36
87	word	172	84	something	36
88	god	170	87	peace	35
89	something	167	87	will	35
90	play	165	89	hour	34
91	put	164	89	little	34
92	him	159	89	need	34
93	mean	156	92	give	33
93	these	156	92	microphone*	33
95	well	155	94	Miss	33
96	back	152	95	cool	32
97	our	151	95	four	32
98	stop	144	95	last	32
99	last	142	95	stop	32
100	shall	141	99	about	31

* These words rank unusually high here because the children talked about their microphones, record time etc.