Chunks of phonological knowledge play a significant role in children’s word learning and explain effects of neighborhood size, phonotactic probability, word frequency and word length

2021 ◽  
Vol 119 ◽  
pp. 104232
Author(s):  
Gary Jones ◽  
Francesco Cabiddu ◽  
Mark Andrews ◽  
Caroline Rowland
Keyword(s):  
Word Frequency ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Word Learning ◽  
Word Length ◽  
Neighborhood Size ◽  
Phonotactic Probability ◽  
Phonological Knowledge

A Longitudinal Study of the Effects of Word Frequency and Rime-Neighborhood Size on Beginning Readers' Rime Reading Accuracy in Words and Nonwords

2002 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Anne Calhoon ◽  
Lauren Leslie
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Word Frequency ◽  
Word Learning ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Beginning Readers ◽  
Developmental Model ◽  
Neighborhood Size ◽  
Reading Accuracy ◽  
High Frequency Words

Beginning readers' rime reading accuracy was assessed over three years to examine the influence of word frequency and rime-neighborhood size (the number of single syllable words with the same rime) on words presented in lists and stories. Twenty-seven 1st- and 2nd- grade students read 54 words and 27 nonwords containing rimes from different size neighborhoods. In Year 1, children showed effects of neighborhood size in high frequency words read in stories and in low frequency words read in lists and stories. In Year 2, rimes from large neighborhoods were read more accurately than rimes from medium and small neighborhoods in high- and low-frequency words. In Year 3, no effects of rime-neighborhood size were found for high-frequency words, but effects on low-frequency words continued. These results support Leslie and Calhoon's (1995) developmental model of the effects of rime-neighborhood size and word frequency as a function of higher levels of word learning.

scholarly journals Functional reorganization in the developing lexicon: separable and changing influences of lexical and phonological variables on children's fast-mapping

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 307-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
CRISTINA MCKEAN ◽  
CAROLYN LETTS ◽  
DAVID HOWARD
Keyword(s):  
Word Learning ◽  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Fast Mapping ◽  
Lexical Knowledge ◽  
Phonotactic Probability ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Functional Reorganization ◽  
Phonological Knowledge ◽  
English Speaking

ABSTRACTNeighbourhood Density (ND) and Phonotactic Probability (PP) influence word learning in children. This influence appears to change over development but the separate developmental trajectories of influence of PP and ND on word learning have not previously been mapped. This study examined the cross-sectional developmental trajectories of influence of PP and ND on fast-mapping in thirty-eight English-speaking children aged 3 ; 01–5 ; 02, in a task varying PP and ND orthogonally. PP and ND exerted separable influences on fast-mapping. Overall, low ND supported better fast-mapping. The influence of PP changed across the developmental trajectory, ‘switching’ from a high to a low PP advantage. A potential explanation for this ‘switch’ is advanced, suggesting that it represents functional reorganization in the developing lexicon, which emerges from changes in the developing lexicon, as phonological knowledge is abstracted from lexical knowledge, over development.

scholarly journals Individual differences in the influence of phonological characteristics on expressive vocabulary development by young children

2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 439-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
JUNKO MAEKAWA ◽  
HOLLY L. STORKEL
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Word Frequency ◽  
Word Length ◽  
Vocabulary Development ◽  
The Other ◽  
Expressive Vocabulary ◽  
Phonotactic Probability ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Sound Sequence

The current study attempts to differentiate effects of phonotactic probability (i.e. the likelihood of occurrence of a sound sequence), neighbourhood density (i.e. the number of phonologically similar words), word frequency, and word length on expressive vocabulary development by young children. Naturalistic conversational samples for three children (age 1;4–3;1) were obtained from CHILDES. In a backward regression analysis, phonotactic probability, neighbourhood density, word frequency, and word length were entered as possible predictors of ages of first production of words for each child. Results showed that the factors affecting first production of words varied across children and across word types. Specifically, word length affected ages of first production for all three children, whereas the other three variables affected only one child each. The implications of these findings for models of expressive vocabulary development are discussed.

scholarly journals A comparison of homonym and novel word learning: the role of phonotactic probability and word frequency

2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 827-853 ◽  
Author(s):  
HOLLY L. STORKEL ◽  
JUNKO MAEKAWA
Keyword(s):  
Word Frequency ◽  
Word Learning ◽  
Picture Naming ◽  
Naming Task ◽  
Identification Task ◽  
Phonotactic Probability ◽  
Visual Support ◽  
Novel Word Learning ◽  
Novel Words

This study compares homonym learning to novel word learning by three- to four-year-old children to determine whether homonyms are learned more rapidly or more slowly than novel words. In addition, the role of form characteristics in homonym learning is examined by manipulating phonotactic probability and word frequency. Thirty-two children were exposed to homonyms and novel words in a story with visual support and learning was measured in two tasks: referent identification; picture naming. Results showed that responses to homonyms were as accurate as responses to novel words in the referent identification task. In contrast, responses to homonyms were more accurate than responses to novel words in the picture-naming task. Furthermore, homonyms composed of common sound sequences were named more accurately than those composed of rare sound sequences. The influence of word frequency was less straightforward. These results may be inconsistent with a one-to-one form–referent bias in word learning.

scholarly journals The growth of children’s semantic and phonological networks: insight from 10 languages

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdellah Fourtassi ◽  
Yuan Bian ◽  
Michael C. Frank
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Statistical Learning ◽  
Word Frequency ◽  
Word Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Network Growth ◽  
Learning Abilities ◽  
Developmental Mechanism ◽  
Internal Lexicon ◽  
External Learning

Children tend to produce words earlier when they are connected to a variety of other words along the phonological and semantic dimensions. Though these semantic and phonological connectivity effects have been extensively documented, little is known about their underlying developmental mechanism. One possibility is that learning is driven by lexical network growth where highly connected words in the child's early lexicon enable learning of similar words. Another possibility is that learning is driven by highly connected words in the external learning environment, instead of highly connected words in the early internal lexicon. The present study tests both scenarios systematically in both the phonological and semantic domains across 10 languages. We show that phonological and semantic connectivity in the learning environment drives growth in both production- and comprehension-based vocabularies, even controlling for word frequency and length. This pattern of findings suggests a word learning process where children harness their statistical learning abilities to detect and learn highly connected words in the learning environment.

Picture-naming agreement in monolingulas and biliguals

1994 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith P. Goggin ◽  
Patricia Estrada ◽  
Ronald P. Villarreal
Keyword(s):  
Word Frequency ◽  
Picture Naming ◽  
Word Length ◽  
Age Of Acquisition ◽  
Language Skill ◽  
Frequency Word ◽  
Line Drawings ◽  
Name Agreement ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACTName agreement in Spanish and English in response to 264 pictures was assessed in monolinguals and in bilinguals, who varied in rated skill in the two languages. Most of the pictures were adapted from a standardized set of line drawings of common objects (Snodgrass & Vanderwart, 1980). Name agreement decreased as language skill decreased, and agreement was lower when labels were given in Spanish rather than in English. The relationship between name agreement and word frequency, word length, and (in the case of English) age of acquisition was assessed; both word frequency and word length were found to be related to agreement. Modal responses given by monolingual subjects were nearly identical in the two languages, and the types of non-modal responses were affected by both naming language and language skill.

scholarly journals ZIPF'S LAW AND RANDOM TEXTS

2002 ◽  
Vol 05 (01) ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
RAMON FERRER i CANCHO ◽  
RICARD V. SOLÉ
Keyword(s):  
Word Frequency ◽  
Power Law ◽  
Word Length ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Zipf’S Law ◽  
Strict Sense ◽  
A Priori Information ◽  
Zipf's Law ◽  
Priori Information ◽  
Random Text

Random-text models have been proposed as an explanation for the power law relationship between word frequency and rank, the so-called Zipf's law. They are generally regarded as null hypotheses rather than models in the strict sense. In this context, recent theories of language emergence and evolution assume this law as a priori information with no need of explanation. Here, random texts and real texts are compared through (a) the so-called lexical spectrum and (b) the distribution of words having the same length. It is shown that real texts fill the lexical spectrum much more efficiently and regardless of the word length, suggesting that the meaningfulness of Zipf's law is high.

scholarly journals The Effect of Incremental Changes in Phonotactic Probability and Neighborhood Density on Word Learning by Preschool Children

2013 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 1689-1700 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly L. Storkel ◽  
Daniel E. Bontempo ◽  
Andrew J. Aschenbrenner ◽  
Junko Maekawa ◽  
Su-Yeon Lee
Keyword(s):  
Multilevel Modeling ◽  
Word Learning ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Naming Task ◽  
Neighborhood Density ◽  
Affect Recognition ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Phonotactic Probability ◽  
Sound Sequence

Purpose Phonotactic probability or neighborhood density has predominately been defined through the use of gross distinctions (i.e., low vs. high). In the current studies, the authors examined the influence of finer changes in probability (Experiment 1) and density (Experiment 2) on word learning. Method The authors examined the full range of probability or density by sampling 5 nonwords from each of 4 quartiles. Three- and 5-year-old children received training on nonword–nonobject pairs. Learning was measured in a picture-naming task immediately following training and 1 week after training. Results were analyzed through the use of multilevel modeling. Results A linear spline model best captured nonlinearities in phonotactic probability. Specifically, word learning improved as probability increased in the lowest quartile, worsened as probability increased in the mid-low quartile, and then remained stable and poor in the 2 highest quartiles. An ordinary linear model sufficiently described neighborhood density. Here, word learning improved as density increased across all quartiles. Conclusion Given these different patterns, phonotactic probability and neighborhood density appear to influence different word learning processes. Specifically, phonotactic probability may affect recognition that a sound sequence is an acceptable word in the language and is a novel word for the child, whereas neighborhood density may influence creation of a new representation in long-term memory.

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