Learning to describe past experiences in conversation∗

The early development of the ability to discuss past experiences in conversation is examined. The data consist of 186 conversations about past events between two Spanish‐speaking girls (21–31 and 24–38 months) and their families. Each description is analyzed in terms of its length, the familiarity and specificity of the event described, the truth of the statements, the reason for mention, the use of grammatical forms, and the role of an adult in initiating and maintaining the conversation. Based on these analyses, three phases of development are identified, characterized by: (a) dependency on adult participation; (b) the discussion of elements common to many instances of an event, rather than the unique occurrences of a specific event (i.e., dependence on a “script” of the event); and (c) talk about unique occurrences, but difficulty in planning a lengthy discourse. The results are discussed in terms of children's knowledge of event structures and the early organization of their memories.