Children's imaginative language use

Innovative use of language, a firm grasp of technology, and a thirst for unusual words are just some of the findings revealed about how children use language according to new Oxford University Press (OUP) research. The research was compiled by lexicographers in OUP's Children's Dictionaries team based on an analysis of thousands of short stories sent into a BBC radio competition for children in the UK. A summary of the report has been released, revealing a wealth of information about children's patterns in language, grammatical structures, and vocabulary use. The results show that children are extremely inventive in their storytelling and language use, with many stories focusing on genetic experiments, espionage, and futuristic gadgets. Favourites of the researchers included the 'fingerlaser,' a planet-shrinking 'zaporator' and the 'electrostone', a device that can disable electrical circuits. Robotic hybrids such as the 'dog-bot', 'robo-dog', and 'teacherbot' grabbed adults' attention in equal measure. Technology was also a theme in many stories.