scholarly journals An investigation of iconic language development in four datasets

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
David M. SIDHU ◽  
Jennifer WILLIAMSON ◽  
Velina SLAVOVA ◽  
Penny M. PEXMAN
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Word Frequency ◽  
Word Learning ◽  
Word Production ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Early Speech ◽  
Iconic Language

Abstract Iconic words imitate their meanings. Previous work has demonstrated that iconic words are more common in infants’ early speech, and in adults’ child-directed speech (e.g., Perry et al., 2015; 2018). This is consistent with the proposal that iconicity provides a benefit to word learning. Here we explored iconicity in four diverse language development datasets: a production corpus for infants and preschoolers (MacWhinney, 2000), comprehension data for school-aged children to young adults (Dale & O'Rourke, 1981), word frequency norms from educational texts for school aged children to young adults (Zeno et al., 1995), and a database of parent-reported infant word production (Frank et al., 2017). In all four analyses, we found that iconic words were more common at younger ages. We also explored how this relationship differed by syntactic class, finding only modest evidence for differences. Overall, the results suggest that, beyond infancy, iconicity is an important factor in language acquisition.

scholarly journals An Investigation of Iconic Language Development in Four Datasets

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Sidhu ◽  
Jennifer Williamson ◽  
Velina Slavova ◽  
Penny M. Pexman
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Word Frequency ◽  
Word Learning ◽  
Word Production ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Early Speech ◽  
Iconic Language

Iconic words imitate their meanings. Previous work has demonstrated that iconic words are more common in infants’ early speech, and in adults’ child-directed speech (e.g., Perry et al., 2015; 2018). This is consistent with the proposal that iconicity provides a benefit to word learning. Here we explored iconicity in four diverse language development datasets: a production corpus for infants and preschoolers (MacWhinney, 2000), comprehension data for school-aged children to young adults (Dale & O’Rourke, 1981), word frequency norms from educational texts for school aged children to young adults (Zeno et al., 1995), and a database of parent-reported infant word production (Frank et al., 2017). In all four analyses, we found that iconic words were more common at younger ages. We also explored how this relationship differed by syntactic class, finding only modest evidence for differences. Overall, the results suggest that beyond infancy, iconicity is an important factor in language acquisition.

scholarly journals A multi-study examination of the role of repeated spaced retrieval in the word learning of children with developmental language disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence B. Leonard ◽  
Sharon L. Christ ◽  
Patricia Deevy ◽  
Jeffrey D. Karpicke ◽  
Christine Weber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Word Learning ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Learning Condition ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Spaced Retrieval ◽  
Retrieval Condition ◽  
Mixed Effects Modeling ◽  
Novel Word Learning

Abstract Background Many children with developmental language disorders (DLD) have well-documented weaknesses in vocabulary. In recent years, investigators have explored the nature of these weaknesses through the use of novel word learning paradigms. These studies have begun to uncover specific areas of difficulty and have provided hints about possible intervention strategies that might help these children learn words more accurately and efficiently. Among the studies of this type are those that incorporate repeated spaced retrieval activities in the learning procedures. Methods In this study, we examined the data from four of these studies that employed the same types of participants (4- and 5-year-old children with DLD and same-age children with typical language development), research design, and outcome measures. The studies differed primarily in the type of learning condition that was being compared to a spaced retrieval condition. A mixed-effects modeling framework was used, enabling the data from the four studies and different outcome measures to be aggregated. Results Across the studies, more words in the repeated spaced retrieval condition were recalled than those in the comparison conditions. This was true regardless of outcome measure. Children with typical language development recalled more words than the children with DLD. Both groups benefited from spaced retrieval, though effects were larger for the group with DLD. Children recalled words as accurately 1 week after learning as they did at the 5-min mark; the two groups were essentially identical in this respect. Conclusions Overall, the findings support the continued refinement of these types of repeated spaced retrieval procedures, as they may have potential to serve as effective approaches to intervention.

Differentiating School-Aged Children With and Without Language Impairment Using Tense and Grammaticality Measures From a Narrative Task

2016 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ling-Yu Guo ◽  
Phyllis Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Likelihood Ratios ◽  
Verb Morphology ◽  
Story Generation ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Sensitive Tool ◽  
Good Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity

Purpose To determine the diagnostic accuracy of the finite verb morphology composite (FVMC), number of errors per C-unit (Errors/CU), and percent grammatical C-units (PGCUs) in differentiating school-aged children with language impairment (LI) and those with typical language development (TL). Method Participants were 61 six-year-olds (50 TL, 11 LI) and 67 eight-year-olds (50 TL, 17 LI). Narrative samples were collected using a story-generation format. FVMC, Errors/CU, and PGCUs were computed from the samples. Results All of the three measures showed acceptable to good diagnostic accuracy at age 6, but only PGCUs showed acceptable diagnostic accuracy at age 8 when sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios were considered. Conclusion FVMC, Errors/CU, and PGCUs can all be used in combination with other tools to identify school-aged children with LI. However, FVMC and Errors/CU may be an appropriate diagnostic tool up to age 6. PGCUs, in contrast, may be a sensitive tool for identifying children with LI at least up to age 8 years.

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.

What is the Role and Nature of Language and Language Development?

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 60-71
Author(s):  
Alessandro Benati
Keyword(s):  
Complex System ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Limited Role ◽  
System Input ◽  
Knowledge Of Language

In this paper, the role and nature of language and language development will be discussed. Research and theory in second language acquisition has demonstrated that (i) language is an abstract, implicit and complex system. Input (ii) plays a key role in language development; despite the fact that some knowledge of language is innate (iii). Overall, language development (iv) is ordered and stage-like and instruction (v) has a limited role. Theoretical and pedagogical implications will be highlighted.

scholarly journals Early speech-language development in females with Rett syndrome: focusing on the preserved speech variant

2012 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 451-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
PETER B MARSCHIK ◽  
GIORGIO PINI ◽  
KATRIN D BARTL-POKORNY ◽  
MARTIN DUCKWORTH ◽  
MARKUS GUGATSCHKA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Rett Syndrome ◽  
Early Speech

What we have to explain in foreign language learning

1996 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 718-718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Bley-Vroman
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Theory ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Fundamental Difference ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Development Theory

AbstractWhile child language development theory must explain invariant “success,” foreign language learning theory must explain variation and lack of success. The fundamental difference hypothesis (FDH) outlines such a theory. Epstein et al. ignore the explanatory burden, mischaracterize the FDH, and underestimate the resources of human cognition. The field of second language acquisition is not divided into camps by views on “access” to UG.

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.

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