The Influence of Prosodic and Gestural Cues on Novel Word Acquisition by Children With Specific Language Impairment

1993 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 1013-1025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Ellis Weismer ◽  
Linda J. Hesketh
Keyword(s):  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Kindergarten Children ◽  
Speaking Rate ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Repeated Measures Design ◽  
Novel Words

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of prosodic and gestural cues on children’s lexical learning. Acquisition of novel words was examined under linguistic input conditions that varied in terms of rate of speech, stress, and use of supplemental visual cues i.e., gestures). Sixteen kindergarten children served as subjects in this study, including 8 children with normal language (NL) and 8 children with specific language impairment (SLI). A repeated-measures design was used such that all subjects in both groups participated in each of the three experimental conditions (the Rate, Stress, and Visual Condition). Results indicated that acquisition of novel words by the groups with NL and SLI was significantly affected by alterations in speaking rate and by the use of gestures accompanying spoken language. There were no statistically significant effects for the stress manipulations, although subjects with SLI tended to correctly produce novel words that had received emphatic stress during training more often than words presented with neutral stress. Implications of these findings are discussed with respect to the importance of considering how the manner of presentation of the linguistic signal influences the processing and acquisition of language.

Verb Learning in Children With SLI

2005 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 1397-1411 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. G. Riches ◽  
M. Tomasello ◽  
Gina Conti-Ramsden
Keyword(s):  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Verb Learning ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Language Impaired ◽  
Repeated Measures Design ◽  
Lexical Learning ◽  
Impaired Children

Purpose: This study explored the effect of frequency (number of presentations), and spacing (period between presentations) on verb learning in children with specific language impairment (SLI). Children learn words more efficiently when presentations are frequent and appropriately spaced, and this study investigated whether children with SLI likewise benefit. Given that these children demonstrate greater frequency dependence and rapid forgetting of recently acquired words, an investigation of frequency and spacing in this population is especially warranted. Method: Twenty-four children with SLI (mean age 5;6 [years;months]) and 24 language-matched control children (mean age 3;4) were taught novel verbs during play sessions. In a repeated measures design, 4 experimental conditions combined frequency (12 or 18 presentations) and spacing (all presentations in 1 session, or spread over 4 days). Comprehension and production probes were administered after the final session and 1 week later. Results: Although the children with SLI benefited significantly from frequent and widely spaced presentations, there were no significant effect in the control group. The language-impaired children showed rapid forgetting. Conclusions: The frequency and spacing of presentations crucially affect the verb learning of children with SLI. A training regimen characterized by appropriately spaced intervals and moderate repetition will optimally benefit lexical learning.

Lexical Learning by Children With Specific Language Impairment: Effects of Linguistic Input Presented at Varying Speaking Rates

1996 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Ellis Weismer ◽  
Linda J. Hesketh
Keyword(s):  
Word Learning ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Fast Rate ◽  
Speaking Rate ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Mental Age ◽  
Rate Effects ◽  
Linguistic Input ◽  
Novel Words

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of speaking rate variations in the linguistic input provided to children during a novel word learning task. Thirty-two school-age children participated in this investigation, including 16 children with specific language impairment (SLI) and 16 normal language (NL) controls matched on mental age (MA). The younger half of the NL group also served as a vocabulary level comparison for the older half of the children with SLI. No significant rate effects were found for comprehension of novel words, with all children performing at relatively high levels of accuracy. The group with SLI demonstrated the same recognition accuracy pattern as MA matched controls for target labels versus phonetically similar/dissimilar foils only for words trained at slow rate. Rate effects were most pronounced for items with the highest difficulty level, namely production of novel words. Children with SLI produced significantly fewer words that had been presented at fast rate during training than NL children matched on mental age or vocabulary level. Individual differences and production error patterns on fast rate items were examined. The finding that variations in speaking rate had a disproportionate impact upon word learning for children with SLI was interpreted within a framework of limited processing capacity.

Morpheme Learning of Children With Specific Language Impairment Under Controlled Instructional Conditions

1992 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 844-852 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phil J. Connell ◽  
C. Addison Stone
Keyword(s):  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Effect ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Specific Response ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Phonological Representations ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Response To Instruction ◽  
Nonverbal Ability

Three groups of children were exposed to instances of a novel morpheme under controlled experimental conditions. The performance of 32 children with specific language impairment (SLI), aged 5:0 to 7:0 years (years:months), was compared to that of 24 normally developing children matched for age and nonverbal ability and 20 younger normally developing children matched for language development and nonverbal ability. The children were taught under two instructional conditions that differed only in whether the child was asked to imitate the new language form after each instance imitation) or just to observe its use (modeling). Consistent with past research (Connell, 1987b), the children with SLI performed significantly better under the imitation condition than under modeling, but the age-matched controls showed no difference in response to instruction. The performance of the language-matched controls was similar to that of the age-matched controls, suggesting that the instruction-specific effect for the children with SLI is not merely a function of general language immaturity. Although the superiority of the imitation condition for the children with SLI was evident for test trials requiring production of the new morpheme (as in past research), no such effect was evident for comprehension trials. This differing effect of output demands suggests that the SLI-specific response to instruction is not a matter of different mastery of the new rule but rather is specific to the need to access the newly induced rule on production trials. The accessing of phonological representations as a possible explanation for the effect is discussed.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Specific Language Impairment in Kindergarten Children

1997 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 1245-1260 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Bruce Tomblin ◽  
Nancy L. Records ◽  
Paula Buckwalter ◽  
Xuyang Zhang ◽  
Elaine Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Kindergarten Children ◽  
Specific Language

Lexical Imitation and Acquisition in Language-Impaired Children

1985 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard G. Schwartz ◽  
Laurence B. Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Lexical Acquisition ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Language Impaired ◽  
Impaired Children ◽  
Novel Words

This investigation examined the influence of unsolicited lexical imitation on the comprehension and on the production of novel words by language-impaired children. Subjects were 13 children (2:8–3:1) exhibiting specific language impairment who were presented with 16 unfamiliar words referring to unfamiliar objects or actions over 10 experimental sessions. Unsolicited imitations appeared to facilitate subsequent production of these words on a posttest. This effect was greatest when these words were also produced spontaneously prior to the posttest. Words that were produced imitatively and spontaneously also appeared more frequently in spontaneous usage than words that were only produced spontaneously. No relationship between such imitations and comprehension was observed. These findings suggest that unsolicited imitations benefit children's lexical acquisition primarily by providing them with additional opportunities to produce words that are in the process of being established in their expressive lexicons.

scholarly journals Interactive Book Reading to Accelerate Word Learning by Kindergarten Children With Specific Language Impairment: Identifying Adequate Progress and Successful Learning Patterns

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly L. Storkel ◽  
Rouzana Komesidou ◽  
Kandace K. Fleming ◽  
Rebecca Swinburne Romine
Keyword(s):  
Word Learning ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Kindergarten Children ◽  
Book Reading ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Naming Test ◽  
Interactive Book

Purpose The goal of this study was to provide guidance to clinicians on early benchmarks of successful word learning in an interactive book reading treatment and to examine how encoding and memory evolution during treatment contribute to word learning outcomes by kindergarten children with specific language impairment (SLI). Method Twenty-seven kindergarten children with SLI participated in a preliminary clinical trial using interactive book reading to teach 30 new words. Word learning was assessed at 4 points during treatment through a picture naming test. Results The results indicate that the following performance during treatment was cause for concern, indicating a need to modify the treatment: naming 0–1 treated words correctly at Naming Test 1; naming 0–2 treated words correctly at Naming Test 2; naming 0–3 treated words correctly at Naming Test 3. In addition, the results showed that encoding was the primary limiting factor in word learning, but memory evolution also contributed (albeit to a lesser degree) to word learning success. Conclusion Case illustrations demonstrate how a clinician's understanding of a child's word learning strengths and weaknesses develop over the course of treatment, substantiating the importance of regular data collection and clinical decision-making to ensure the best possible outcomes for each individual child.

scholarly journals Learning and Remembering New Words: Clinical Illustrations From Children With Specific Language Impairment

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 138-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rouzana Komesidou ◽  
Holly L. Storkel
Keyword(s):  
Word Learning ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Kindergarten Children ◽  
Memory Retention ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
New Words ◽  
Good Learning ◽  
Novel Word Learning ◽  
The Relationship

The learning of a new word involves at least two processes: learning from input and memory evolution in the absence of input. The authors will review the literature and describe the relationship between these two processes and novel word learning by children with specific language impairment (SLI). Cases from an ongoing preliminary clinical trial of word learning in kindergarten children with SLI will serve as clinical illustrations. In particular, one case will be used to demonstrate a pattern of good learning from input and good memory retention (i.e., desirable learning pattern during treatment). Three additional cases will be used to illustrate patterns indicative of poor learning from input and/or poor memory retention. Suggestions will be provided concerning how treatment can be altered when these patterns appear, to promote desirable learning outcomes.

Unusual Phonological Behavior and the Avoidance of Homonymy in Children

1989 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 583-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence B. Leonard ◽  
Richard G. Schwartz ◽  
George D. Allen ◽  
Lori A. Swanson ◽  
Diane Frome Loeb
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Sound Changes ◽  
Novel Words

Young children sometimes make use of unusual phonological patterns even when they already possess the appropriate sound or a suitable substitute in their phonological systems. In this investigation, we attempted to determine whether in such instances unusual sound changes enable children to avoid potential homonymy with other words in their lexicons. Novel words were presented to children, half serving as potential homonyms, half as unlikely homonyms. The children's acquisition of these words was monitored. For a group of normally developing children, unusual sound changes were found to be more frequent in the words with the potential for homonymy. In contrast, a group of children with specific language impairment showed the same degree of unusual usage for both types of words. The findings suggest that children with specific language impairment are especially limited in their ability to capitalize on the phonetic regularities of the language.

scholarly journals Computer-Supported Phonological Awareness Intervention for Kindergarten Children With Specific Language Impairment

2004 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliane Segers ◽  
Ludo Verhoeven
Keyword(s):  
Phonological Awareness ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Kindergarten Children ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Computer Intervention ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Normal Speech

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to determine whether kindergarten children with specific language impairment (SLI) could develop phonological awareness skills through computer intervention and whether speech manipulation (i.e., slowing speech rate and enhancing transitions) in instruction produced additional learning. Method: The effects of a computer-supported phonological awareness program on a variety of items, including word analysis, syllable analysis, rhyme, phoneme analysis, syllable synthesis, and phoneme synthesis, were tested following a pretest-posttest 1-posttest 2 design. Twenty-four kindergarten children with SLI in the Netherlands received 3.5 hr of phonological awareness intervention via a computer program using either normal speech (12 children) or manipulated speech (12 children). A control group of 12 kindergarten children with SLI played computer vocabulary games. Results: The results showed positive effects of the intervention for the normal speech group. Eighteen weeks later, the effect size was still substantial; however, no additional effects of speech manipulation were found. Clinical Implications: The results suggest that kindergarten children with SLI benefit from computer intervention for phonological awareness skills.

scholarly journals Information Processing and Proactive Interference in Children With and Without Specific Language Impairment

2014 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klara Marton ◽  
Luca Campanelli ◽  
Naomi Eichorn ◽  
Jessica Scheuer ◽  
Jungmee Yoon
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Proactive Interference ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Irrelevant Information ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Processing Abilities ◽  
Inhibition Control

Purpose Increasing evidence suggests that children with specific language impairment (SLI) have a deficit in inhibition control, but research isolating specific abilities is scarce. The goal of this study was to examine whether children with SLI differ from their peers in resistance to proactive interference under different conditions. Method An information processing battery with manipulations in interference was administered to 66 children (SLI, age-matched peers, and language-matched controls). In Experiment 1, previously relevant targets were used as distractors to create conflict. Experiment 2 used item repetitions to examine how practice strengthens word representations and how the strength of a response impacts performance on the following item. Results Children with SLI performed similarly to their peers in the baseline condition but were more susceptible to proactive interference than the controls in both experimental conditions. Children with SLI demonstrated difficulty suppressing irrelevant information, made significantly more interference errors than their peers, and showed a slower rate of implicit learning. Conclusion Children with SLI show weaker resistance to proactive interference than their peers, and this deficit impacts their information processing abilities. The coordination of activation and inhibition is less efficient in these children, but future research is needed to further examine the interaction between these two processes.

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