Speech roles and the development of personal pronouns

Pronoun mastery demands a knowledge of speech roles and an ability to identify oneself and others in those roles. Twenty-one girls' (age 1; 6–2; 6) knowledge of my , your , and her was assessed when they were speakers, addressees and non-addressed listeners. My and your were at first understood correctly only when referring to the child's own speech role: your was comprehended when the child was addressed, though not produced correctly by the child; my was used by the child as speaker, while still not comprehended correctly when used by others. The first consistent production of her referred to dolls. Children thus were initially aware of speech roles, but only when they themselves occupied those roles.