Traditionally Linguistics has concentrated mainly on more basic language structures (e.g. words or sentences), while discourse has been unfairly ignored until 1970s, when the interest for discourse micro- and macrostructure arose. A so called multi-level approach, which implies the interdependence of conceptual structures, content of thought, and processing linguistic units, gains more popularity in recent discourse research, but it is still rarely used in language development studies. This approach is the main framework of this project proposal. In the field of psycholinguistics and applied linguistics, discourse analyses have been considered a valuable tool for assessing language knowledge (Schneider et al., 2006; Botting, 2002). The elicitation of discourse samples is an ecologically valid assessment tool since it reflects conversation in everyday natural environment and provides a clear insight into language knowledge. This is especially important for assessing language abilities of bilingual speakers and speakers with language impairment. Despite the fact that narrative discourse has been proven a valid diagnostic tool, research of its structure and changes during language development are relatively rare in Croatian language, with some exceptions (i.e., Arapović et al., 2010; Medved Krajnović, 2001 and Kuvač, 2004). Most of the theories, approaches and discourse analyses measures are based on English language so there is a need for their validation in typologically different languages. Various approaches to language acquisition have changed based on new insights from different languages. In this project new resources will be developed and some existing updated (i.e., lexical database and different corpora). Their analyses will lead to new findings, such as frequency and types of language structures in Croatian in a particular period during language development and in different populations, as well as to development of new automatized corpus measures. These findings will be crucial for development of the new discourse assessment material. Material will be based on picture stimuli in a computer-based application. Application will allow for the automatization of the recording procedure, transcription support and automatic calculation of discourse measures. As the material is grounded in research findings and validated, it will be ready for use as language assessment tool. Validity studies will provide reliable data on discourse development for different groups of speakers (monolingual, bilingual, atypical language development, different SES).

Recent findings indicate that intervention systems for children, youth and adults with behavioural problems should focus simultaneously on the individual with the problem and his/her family. Therefore, gaining new knowledge on families at risk and development of new interventions and services present a permanent research and professional challenge. The overall objective of the proposed study is to identify characteristics of specific groups of families at risk, their resilience, readiness for change, readiness for intervention; and life satisfaction, as a set of new, under-researched processes which could be of importance for complex family interventions planning. Specific objectives on one hand relate to the family at risk research methodology development and on the other hand to determine the relationship between the aforementioned characteristics of families at risk, which were never researched in Croatia. The study sample includes 200 families at risk, with at least one family member who is, due to behavioural problems, a beneficiary of interventions in the area of education, social welfare, mental health and/or justice provision in the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County. Various qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods shall be used. Due to the methodological complexity and the sensitivity of the content and research draft ethics, a relatively large, carefully selected research team will conduct the project activities, ensuring competences in the areas of research methodology, theoretical and professional aspects of the issues in focus. In addition to the new findings on the characteristics of the families at risk, this study will contribute to the family and family environment research methodology development. The outcomes of the study will allow development of guidelines for complex family at risk interventions planning based on beneficiary perspective and scientific data.