| Sumario: | Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to compare the accuracy and type of subject pronouns used by characters in 2 television shows targeting the preschool demographic: Sesame Street and Barney and Friends. Method: The first 100 opportunities for pronoun use in 5 episodes of each show were transcribed. The opportunities for subject pronoun use were classified as either correct, substitution, or omission. Subject pronouns were also analyzed by person and by singular versus plural tense. Results: Both television shows have high subject pronoun use accuracy. No statistical differences were reported for accuracy, but statistical differences did occur in the types of pronouns used: Sesame Street used significantly more singular and second person pronouns, whereas Barney and Friends used significantly more plural pronouns. Conclusion: Both television shows provide accurate models of subject pronoun use for young viewers, but children may be exposed to different types of pronouns more or less frequently based on viewing episodes of Sesame Street or Barney and Friends. The methods of analysis used in this investigation provide a framework for language analysis of television shows that could expand to include elements of semantic, pragmatic, or additional morphological features. Further research should examine if children with difficulty using pronouns can increase their comprehension of accurate pronoun usage by viewing these television shows.
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