The acquisition of intensifiers

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Insa Gülzow investigates how children acquiring German or English as their first language learn to use intensifiers. Through a comparative analysis of intensifiers and related expressions in both languages, she examines longitudinal production data from six German-speaking and six English-speaking children, focusing on when and in what contexts the German intensifiers selbst/selber and the English x-self (myself, yourself, etc.) emerge. Intensifiers play a crucial role in structuring early discourse by allowing children to position themselves as central participants. The ability to express inclusion or exclusion in various situations is vital during interactions with parents and peers. As children develop, they acquire linguistic and non-linguistic skills that enhance their independence and competence, with intensifiers serving as key tools for negotiating their roles in events. The volume is divided into three parts: the first provides a detailed analysis of selbst/selber and x-self, highlighting the distinction between intensifiers and reflexive pronouns in English and German; the second reviews comprehension studies to connect findings with longitudinal production data; and the third analyzes children's early use of intensifiers and related expressions.