scholarly journals The Roles of Familiarity and Context in Processing Chinese Xiehouyu: An ERP Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaolu Wang ◽  
Yizhen Wang ◽  
Wanning Tian ◽  
Wei Zheng ◽  
Xiaoli Chen
Keyword(s):  
Contextual Information ◽  
Interactive Effect ◽  
Literal Meaning ◽  
Direct Access ◽  
Metaphorical Meaning ◽  
Online Processing ◽  
Idiomatic Expressions ◽  
Language Construct ◽  
Processing Mechanism ◽  
Access Model

AbstractThis study conducts an ERP experiment to explore the online processing mechanism of Chinese xiehouyu, a subcategory of Chinese idiomatic expressions with a metaphorical two-part allegorical saying, regarded as a non-literal language construct. Using a 2 × 2 design, (high familiarity (HF)/low familiarity (LF)) × (literally-biasing context (LC)/metaphorically-biasing context (MC)), the researchers have obtained the following findings: (1) familiarity plays an important role in Chinese xiehouyu processing, i.e. the metaphorical meaning of a HF Chinese xiehouyu can be directly activated while that of a LF one has to be derived from its literal meaning first; (2) contextual information also weighs in the process, i.e. the metaphorical meaning of a Chinese xiehouyu can be promoted in MC condition but suppressed in LC condition; (3) the interactive effect of familiarity and contextual information can be explained by the career of metaphor hypothesis; and (4) the Standard Pragmatic Model (SPM) of non-literal languages can explain the processing of LF xiehouyu, and the Direct Access Model (DAM) may to some extent account for the mechanism of HF one but fails to explain the case of LF one, while the Graded Salience Hypothesis (GSH) can provide an acceptable explanation for the processing mechanism of Chinese xiehouyus of varied familiarity.

scholarly journals The Equivalence and Nonequivalence of Proverbs Across Cultures (Indonesian and English)

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 253
Author(s):  
Syahron Lubis
Keyword(s):  
Literal Meaning ◽  
Linguistic Structure ◽  
Metaphorical Meaning ◽  
Lexical Items

The aim of the present study is to examine whether or not proverbs, culturally-related medium of communication, are equivalent across cultures. The proverbs compared are derived from Indonesian and English cultures, as two distinct cultures. Fifteen Indonesian proverbs and fifteen English proverbs have been compared to find out whether or not they are equivalent in terms of meaning, linguistic structure and culture. The proverbs are collected from a list of well-known Indonesian and English proverbs. Since almost the thirty proverbs are expressed in metaphorical meaning and since Indonesian is still foreign to many international readers the literal meaning of lexical items found in the proverbs have been glossed in brackets followed by the explanation of the metaphorical meaning of the thirty proverbs. Ten Indonesian proverbs are found to be equivalent in terms of meaning to ten English proverbs. In terms of linguistic structure they are almost equivalent that is they are expressed mostly in the form of sentence. But they are different in the use of lexical items that constitute the proverbs. Five Indonesian proverbs are found to be nonequivalent to five of English in terms of meaning and the lexical items used to build the metaphor. Thus it is found out that fifteen Indonesian proverbs are equivalent to fifteen English proverbs and five Indonesian proverbs are found to be nonequivalent to five English proverbs.

scholarly journals A Shift from Phonological Recoding to Direct Access in Reading as a Result of Previous Exposure

1984 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven G. Zecker ◽  
Mark DuMont
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Time ◽  
Lexical Access ◽  
Direct Access ◽  
Phonological Recoding ◽  
Previous Exposure ◽  
Initial Exposure ◽  
Visual Access ◽  
Access Model

The present study examined the effect of repeated exposures of a visually presented phrase on the mode of lexical access (phonological recoding vs. visual mediation) used. Subjects made meaningfulness decisions about two- and three-word phrases. Following five exposures to each phrase, some of which sounded meaningful but were not (“drops of do”), and others which were neither (“nut and bout”), the significant reaction time advantage on the first exposure for rejecting the latter phrase type was eliminated. Results supported the dual access hypothesis that subjects use phonological recoding upon initial exposure to a phrase, but following repeated exposures are able to use direct visual access. A dual access model compatible with these results is discussed.

scholarly journals Similarity-based interference in sentence comprehension in aphasia: A computational evaluation of two models of cue-based retrieval

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Lissón ◽  
Dario Paape ◽  
Dorothea Pregla ◽  
Nicole Stadie ◽  
Frank Burchert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Relative Clauses ◽  
Sentence Comprehension ◽  
Direct Access ◽  
Matching Task ◽  
Pronoun Resolution ◽  
Computational Evaluation ◽  
Memory Representations ◽  
Access Model

Sentence comprehension requires the listener to link incoming words with short-term memory representations in order to build linguistic dependencies. The cue-based retrieval theory of sentence processing predicts that the retrieval of these memory representations is affected by similarity-based interference. We present the first large-scale computational evaluation of interference effects in two models of sentence processing – the activation-based model, and a modification of the direct-access model – in individuals with aphasia (IWA) and control participants in German. The parameters of the models are linked to prominent theories of processing deficits in aphasia, and the models are tested against two linguistic constructions in German: Pronoun resolution and relative clauses. The data come from a visual-world eye-tracking experiment combined with a sentence-picture matching task. The results show that both control participants and IWA are susceptible to retrieval interference, and that a combination of theoretical explanations (intermittent deficiencies, slow syntax, and resource reduction) can explain IWA’s deficits in sentence processing. Model comparisons reveal that both models have a similar predictive performance in pronoun resolution, but the activation-based model outperforms the direct-access model in relative clauses.

scholarly journals IDIOM ‘SARU’ SEBAGAI REFLEKSI KONSEP PEMIKIRAN MASYARAKAT JEPANG TERHADAP MONYET

IZUMI ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Devita Widyaningtyas Yogyanti
Keyword(s):  
Literal Meaning ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Japanese People ◽  
Linguistic Study ◽  
Metaphorical Meaning ◽  
Magical Power ◽  
Basic Concepts ◽  
Object Of Study ◽  
The Relationship

(Title: Idiom ‘Saru’ as a Reflection of Japanese People Thinking Concept Towards Monkey ). This research is an anthropological linguistic study that is conducted by examining the idioms that use the word "saru" (monkey) as the object of study. This study aims at analyzing the basic concepts of people's thought about the word "saru" (monkey) through the use of its idioms. The researcher collected the data of the idioms that use the word "saru" through literature studies that cover the literature containing Japanese idioms and interviews of Japanese people living in Yogyakarta. The focus of this research is the correlation between literal meaning and metaphorical meaning in idioms that contain the word "saru". The correlation of the meaning is traced using a diachronic perspective to see the concept of Japanese people's thought towards monkeys. According to the results of the study, the researcher found 11 idioms that use the word "saru", namely Sansaru, Sarugi, Sarugutsuwa, Sarushibari, Sarutsunagi, Sarujie, Sarugashikoshi, Sarumane, Sarushibai, Saruboo, and Saruni. From the relationship between the literal meaning and the metaphorical meaning of the 11 idioms, the result shows that Japanese people have 3 concepts towards monkey, which are as a holy and sacred animal, as an animal that possesses the magical power to make something quiet, and as an animal resembling the human being.

scholarly journals Irony Comprehension in the Nonnative Language Comes at a Cost

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 336-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Bromberek-Dyzman ◽  
Karolina Rataj
Keyword(s):  
Response Time ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Literal Meaning ◽  
Online Processing ◽  
Nonnative Language ◽  
Oriented Approach ◽  
Key Questions

Abstract Irony as a communicative phenomenon continues to puzzle. One of the key questions concerns cognitive and linguistic mechanisms underpinning irony comprehension. Empirical research exploring how much time people need to grasp irony as compared to literal meanings, brought equivocal answers. In view of the timespan-oriented-approach’ inconclusiveness, we set to explore the efficiency of irony online processing in a limited-response-time paradigm. Additionally, we aimed to find out whether advanced nonnative users of a language, who have mastered ironic mode of thinking in their native language, get irony as efficiently in their nonnative as they do in their native language. Results show that participants were less efficient in processing irony than nonirony in both tested languages, yet the efficiency decreased in their nonnative language. These results license a claim that irony is a cognitively more demanding communicative phenomenon than literal meaning, and the effort invested in its comprehension increases in the nonnative language.

scholarly journals Modeling Sentence Comprehension Deficits in Aphasia: A Computational Evaluation of the Direct-Access Model of Retrieval

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Lissón ◽  
Dorothea Pregla ◽  
Dario Paape ◽  
Frank Burchert ◽  
Nicole Stadie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sentence Comprehension ◽  
Direct Access ◽  
Similar Performance ◽  
Computational Evaluation ◽  
Retrieval Mechanism ◽  
Access Model

Several researchers have argued that sentence comprehension is mediated via a content addressable retrieval mechanism that allows fast and direct access to memory items. Initially failed retrievals can result in backtracking, which leads to correct retrieval. We present an augmented version of the direct access model that allows backtracking to fail. Based on self-paced listening data from individuals with aphasia, we compare the augmented model to the base model without backtracking failures. The augmented model shows quantitatively similar performance to the base model, but only the augmented model can account for slow incorrect responses. We argue that the modified direct-access model is theoretically better suited to fit data from impaired populations.

scholarly journals EFL LEARNERS’ PRODUCTION OF IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS IN SPEAKING

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 379-390
Author(s):  
Yunie Amalia Rakhmyta ◽  
Rusmiati
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Literal Meaning ◽  
English Department ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Spoken English ◽  
Idiomatic Expressions ◽  
Phrasal Verb ◽  
Descriptive Qualitative

Idiomatic expressions are expressions whose meanings cannot be derived from their literal meaning. Thus, it is viewed as a challenging part for EFL learners in either understanding or practicing them. However, using them in oral spoken adequately signifies that someone is a proficient English user. This research is carried out to depict the learner's application of idiomatic expressions in spoken English. It is performed to address the accompanying examination questions: (1) Do EFL learners of the English Department in IAIN Takengon use idiomatic expressions in speaking? (2) What type of idioms do they produce in speaking? (3) What is the most frequently used idiom type in their speaking?. 20 students' recordings were collected and analyzed using the descriptive qualitative method. The result shows that the learners use idiomatic expressions. The learners produced only three types of idiomatic expressions, namely phrasal verb idiom, tournures idiom, and irreversible compound idiom. Of all, phrasal verb idiom is the most frequently used. It is suggested that the learners are encouraged to be exposed to English more often to apply more idiomatic expressions in their speaking.

scholarly journals Statistical properties of the speed-accuracy trade-off (SAT) paradigm in sentence processing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Pankratz ◽  
Himanshu Yadav ◽  
Garrett Smith ◽  
Shravan Vasishth
Keyword(s):  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Direct Access ◽  
Limited Data ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Test Parameter ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Parameter Recovery ◽  
Correct Representation ◽  
Speed Accuracy ◽  
Access Model

Studies of the speed-accuracy trade-off (SAT) have been influential in arguing for the direct-access model of retrieval in sentence processing. The direct-access model assumes that long-distance dependencies rely on a content-addressable search for the correct representation in memory. Here, we address two important weaknesses in the statistical methods standardly used for analysing SAT data. First, these methods are based on non-hierarchical modelling. We show how a hierarchical model can be fit to SAT data, and we test parameter recovery in this more conservative model. The parameters most relevant to the direct-access account cannot be accurately estimated, and we attribute this to the standard SAT model being overparameterised for the limited data available to fit it. Second, the power properties of SAT studies are unknown. We conduct a power analysis and show that inferences from null results to the null hypothesis, though commonplace in the SAT literature, may be unwarranted.

Metaphor

2019 ◽  
pp. 297-315
Author(s):  
Nausicaa Pouscoulous ◽  
Giulio Dulcinati
Keyword(s):  
Literal Meaning ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Metaphor Comprehension ◽  
Metaphorical Meaning ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Metaphor Processing

Metaphors are pervasive in literature and everyday speech. This chapter explores how metaphors are interpreted both by adults and by children. It reviews recent findings and directions of research on four main issues: What is the relation between figurative and literal meaning in metaphor processing? How is the metaphorical meaning arrived at and which factors are at play in the interpretative process? What are the differences and similarities in processing between different types of metaphors and between metaphors and other tropes? How does metaphor comprehension develop through childhood? The chapter concludes with a few fairly clear answers the psycholinguistic literature has provided and a lot of open questions to be investigated in future research.

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