Is apparent regression an indicator of linguistic progress

The phenomenon of apparent regression in syntactic development as a consequence of progress has been reported by earlier researchers. Considering these reports of regression of certain grammatical features during the developmental stages of language, the current investigation was taken up to study the signs of regression of various grammatical components in Hindi speaking children as shown by the performance on a screening test of syntactic development in Hindi. A total of 160 participants were categorized under eight age groups studied in the present analysis. The data available in the study was cross-sectional. The late errors were identified in terms of the stages of acquisition the different age groups were in. Differences were also noted in the performance of males and females. The late errors were seen for various grammatical categories both in comprehension and expression skills.