The sentence repetition task: a powerful diagnostic tool for French children with specific language impairment.
A quick French sentence-repeat task spots SLI with high accuracy and zero extra tools.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Leclercq et al. (2014) tested a French sentence-repetition task.
They wanted a quick screener for specific language impairment (SLI).
Kids hear a sentence and repeat it word-for-word.
Errors point to weak morphosyntax or word knowledge.
What they found
The task caught SLI with high sensitivity and specificity.
It split cleanly into two factors: morphosyntax and lexical.
That means it flags both grammar and vocabulary problems.
Clinicians can trust a low score to signal SLI.
How this fits with other research
Rojahn et al. (2012) reviewed SLI versus autism profiles.
They found no solid cognitive overlap between the two.
Anne-Lise’s tool fits here: it isolates pure language issues, not social-communication traits.
Vanvooren et al. (2017) validated the French M-CHAT for toddlers.
Both studies share French language and psychometric rigor, but target different ages and disorders.
Together they give French clinicians two reliable screeners: one for SLI in school kids, one for ASD in toddlers.
Why it matters
If you serve French-speaking clients, you now have a five-minute task that tells you whether to refer for full SLI testing.
No extra materials—just your voice and a scoring sheet.
Try it next time a teacher says “something sounds off” with a child’s sentences.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study assesses the diagnostic accuracy and construct validity of a sentence repetition task that is commonly used for the identification of French children with specific language impairment (SLI). Thirty-four school-aged children with a confirmed, diagnostically based diagnosis of SLI, and 34 control children matched on age and nonverbal abilities performed the sentence repetition task. Two general scoring measures took into account the verbatim repetition of the sentence and the number of words accurately repeated. Moreover, five other scoring measures were applied to their answers in order to separately take into account their respect of lexical items, functional items, syntax, verb morphology, and the general meaning of the sentence. Results show good to high levels of sensitivity and specificity at the three cut-off points for all scoring measures. A principal component analysis revealed two factors. Scoring measures for the respect of functional words, syntax and verb morphology provided the largest loadings to the first factor, while scoring measures for the respect of lexical words and general semantics provided the largest loadings to the second factor. Sentence repetition appears to be a valuable tool to identify SLI in French children, and the ability to repeat sentences correctly is supported by two factors: a morphosyntactic factor and a lexical factor.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2014 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2014.08.026