Hard Words

2020 ◽  
pp. 463-507
Author(s):  
Lila R. Gleitman
Keyword(s):  
Learning Process ◽  
Abstract Word ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Natural Languages ◽  
Word Meanings ◽  
Syntactic Bootstrapping ◽  
Conceptual Difficulties

This paper suggests that the chief limiting factor in acquiring a vocabulary of natural languages consists not in overcoming conceptual difficulties with abstract word meanings, but rather in mapping these meanings onto their corresponding lexical forms. We describe an overlapping series of steps through which novices move in representing the lexical forms and phrase structures of the exposure language, a probabilistic multiple-cue learning process known as syntactic bootstrapping.

scholarly journals Neural Correlates of Abstract Verb Processing

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Rodríguez-Ferreiro ◽  
Silvia P. Gennari ◽  
Robert Davies ◽  
Fernando Cuetos
Keyword(s):  
Active Regions ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Abstract Word ◽  
Semantic Retrieval ◽  
Word Meanings ◽  
Property Integration ◽  
Verb Processing ◽  
Abstract Words ◽  
Extensive Body ◽  
Abstract Verbs

The present study investigated the neural correlates of the processing of abstract (low imageability) verbs. An extensive body of literature has investigated concrete versus abstract nouns but little is known about how abstract verbs are processed. Spanish abstract verbs including emotion verbs (e.g., amar, “to love”; molestar, “to annoy”) were compared to concrete verbs (e.g., llevar, “to carry”; arrastrar, “to drag”). Results indicated that abstract verbs elicited stronger activity in regions previously associated with semantic retrieval such as inferior frontal, anterior temporal, and posterior temporal regions, and that concrete and abstract activation networks (compared to that of pseudoverbs) were partially distinct, with concrete verbs eliciting more posterior activity in these regions. In contrast to previous studies investigating nouns, verbs strongly engage both left and right inferior frontal gyri, suggesting, as previously found, that right prefrontal cortex aids difficult semantic retrieval. Together with previous evidence demonstrating nonverbal conceptual roles for the active regions as well as experiential content for abstract word meanings, our results suggest that abstract verbs impose greater demands on semantic retrieval or property integration, and are less consistent with the view that abstract words recruit left-lateralized regions because they activate verbal codes or context, as claimed by proponents of the dual-code theory. Moreover, our results are consistent with distributed accounts of semantic memory because distributed networks may coexist with varying retrieval demands.

Ambiguity and context learning in signalling games

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liping Tang
Keyword(s):  
Natural Language ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Adaptive Learning ◽  
Structural Evolution ◽  
Sufficient Condition ◽  
Natural Languages ◽  
Context Learning ◽  
Ambiguous Words ◽  
Lattice Network ◽  
Signalling Games

Abstract Lexical ambiguity is present in many natural languages, but ambiguous words and phrases do not seem to be advantageous. Therefore, the presence of ambiguous words in natural language warrants explanation. We justify the existence of ambiguity from the perspective of context dependence. The main contribution of the paper is that we constructed a context learning process such that each interlocutor can infer their opponent’s private belief from the conversation. A sufficient condition for successful learning is provided. Furthermore, for cases in which learning fails, we investigate how the interlocutors choose among degrees of ambiguous expressions through an adaptive learning process. Lastly, we apply our model in the lattice network, demonstrating that structural evolution favours ambiguity as well.

The early acquisition of word meaning

1976 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter A. Reich
Keyword(s):  
Early Development ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Word Meaning ◽  
Word Meanings ◽  
Early Acquisition ◽  
Special Case

ABSTRACTThe development of the meaning of shoe in one pre-lingual child, plus additional examples drawn from the literature, support a notion that word meanings start out very narrow and only become overextended later, though sometimes before the word is spoken. This appears to contradict the course of development of meaning hypothesized by Clark (1973). It is argued that the early development of word meaning is simply a special case of a much more general learning process.

scholarly journals Word learning from context : relations with language ability, socioeconomic status, and executive function

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Margaret Hill
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Word Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Language Ability ◽  
Word Knowledge ◽  
Word Meanings

During the school-age years, children learn most new word meanings from context rather than through deliberate vocabulary instruction. However, the actual process of word learning from context among schoolage children remains poorly understood. Prior research suggests that language ability and higher-order executive function skills such as working memory and inhibitory control of attention may aid children in acquiring new word meanings from context, but studies have not examined the effect of cognitive flexibility on word learning. In addition, although research has shown that children from families of low socioeconomic status (SES) often lag behind their peers from higher-SES backgrounds in vocabulary, there is no evidence to suggest that SES directly influences the word learning process itself. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of language ability, SES, and executive function on word learning from context among typically developing children. Fifty children of ages nine to 11 years completed a standardized measure of language ability and tasks of working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility along with a pretest to assess their understanding of 12 rare target words. Approximately one week later, the children read along with two short stories containing the target words while listening as the stories were narrated aloud by a computer. Posttest results showed that as a group, children made small but significant gains in knowledge of target word meanings from the stories. Analyses showed that both language ability and cognitive flexibility were related to gains in word knowledge, and that children tended to rely more on the stronger of these two skills if either language or cognitive flexibility was relatively weak. Children's SES backgrounds were not directly related to word knowledge gains, but results suggested that SES may influence the word learning process indirectly through an effect on children's cognitive flexibility.

scholarly journals Social and emotion dimensional organizations in the abstract semantic space: the neuropsychological evidence

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaosha Wang ◽  
Guochao Li ◽  
Gang Zhao ◽  
Yunqian Li ◽  
Bijun Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Knowledge ◽  
Word Processing ◽  
Semantic Space ◽  
Abstract Word ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Word Meanings ◽  
Neural Organization ◽  
Semantic Judgment ◽  
Neuropsychological Evidence

AbstractAn essential aspect of human cognition is supported by a rich reservoir of abstract concepts without tangible external referents (e.g., “honor”, “relationship”, “direction”). While decades of research showed that the neural organization of conceptual knowledge referring to concrete words respects domains of evolutionary salience and sensorimotor attributes, the organization principles of abstract word meanings are poorly understood. Here, we provide neuropsychological evidence for a domain (sociality) and attribute (emotion) structure in abstract word processing. Testing 34 brain-damaged patients on a word-semantic judgment task, we observed double dissociations between social and nonsocial words and a single dissociation of sparing of emotional (relative to non-emotional) words. The lesion profiles of patients with specific dissociations suggest potential neural correlates positively or negatively associated with each dimension. These results unravel a general domain-attribute architecture of word meanings and highlight the roles of the social domain and the emotional attribute in the non-object semantic space.

scholarly journals Educação sem Distâncias: Novas Formas de Mediação da Aprendizagem: Um Estudo na Visão Dos Cursistas Rede E-Tec UFRN

EAD em FOCO ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Catarina Alves Coutinho ◽  
Igor Matheus Barreto Gurgel
Keyword(s):  
Student Teacher ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Rio Grande ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Learning Network ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Practical Experiences ◽  
Teaching Learning

A educação teve que incorporar novas formas de comunicação e interação devido à globalização, que tornou os espaços mais homogêneos e competitivos, obrigando a lidar com a inovação de conteúdos e de formas. Este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a rede de ensino e-Tec Brasil com base nas vivências práticas dos alunos da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte a partir da metodologia proposta por Tori (2002; 2003; 2010; 2017), em que se busca evidenciar a existência ou não da distância no ensino-aprendizagem, considerando os três tipos de distância: espacial, temporal e transacional. Este estudo se caracteriza como descritivo-exploratório quanto aos seus objetivos e, no que se refere ao tratamento do objeto, nomeia-se quantitativo. Os resultados evidenciam que a distância não é um limitador no processo de ensino-aprendizagem dos alunos. Entende-se que não há barreiras espaciais para o conhecimento desses alunos, o que, por sua vez, colabora para a existência de interação entre os professores e os materiais. Ainda há que considerar que, embora tenham sido detectados usos mecânicos de avaliação, isso não se reflete na sensação de proximidade entre aluno-professor e material.Palavras-chave: Educação, Comunicação, Instrumentos tecnológicos, Rede e-Tec Brasil.Education without Distance: New Ways of Mediation of Learning: a Study in the View of E-Tec UFRN Network StudentsAbstractEducation had to incorporate new ways of communication and interaction,due to globalization, which has made spaces more homogeneous and competitive, in order to deal with the content and forms innovation. The objective of this work is to analyze the e-Tec Brazil learning network based on the practical experiences of students from Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte students, through the methodology proposed by Tori (2002; 2003; 2010; 2017) that seeks to evidence the existence of distance barriers in teaching-learning process, considering three types of distance: spatial, temporal and transactional. This study is characterized as descriptive-exploratory regarding its objectives, and also, regarding the treatment of the subject, it can be characterized as quantitative. The results have shown that distance is not a limiting factor to the teaching-learning process. It is understood that there are no space barriers to the knowledge, which corroborates to the existence of synergy/interaction between teachers and materials. This works also points out that, even thought mechanical uses of evaluation have not been detected, this does not reflect on the sense of closeness between student-teacher and material.Keywords: Education, Communication, Technological instruments, e-Tec Brasil network

scholarly journals (Not) acquiring meaning in a second language: Are input deficits key?

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 204
Author(s):  
Barbara C. Malt ◽  
Xingjian Yang ◽  
Jessica Joseph
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
The Other ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Learning Problem ◽  
Word Meanings ◽  
Learning Contexts ◽  
Choice Performance ◽  
Novel Words

Word meanings are not always parallel across languages, and second language (L2) learners often use words in non-native ways. Is the learning problem inherent in maintaining conflicting word-to-meaning mappings within an integrated lexical network, or is it due to insufficient attention to and input for acquiring L2 mappings? To help discriminate between these possibilities, we gave English speakers repeated exposures to 40 brief videos of actions, labeled with five novel words that cross-cut English labeling patterns. Half the participants were told only to learn the labels for the actions. The other half were told to figure out their meanings, which might differ from English. The Figure Out Meanings group made test choices faster and were also slightly more likely to produce definitions capturing the intended meanings. However, both groups performed well above chance in generalizing the novel words. High levels of choice performance for both groups point to insufficient input, rather than inherent properties of lexical networks, as the critical limiting factor in more typical L2 learning contexts. Speed and definition performance hint at some advantage to explicit attention in sorting out L1-L2 differences.

What do we know when we claim to know nothing? Partial knowledge of word meanings may be ontological, but not hierarchical

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 141-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeannette M. Stein ◽  
Wendelyn J. Shore
Keyword(s):  
Word Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Category Membership ◽  
Hierarchical Organization ◽  
Partial Knowledge ◽  
Ontological Category ◽  
Word Meanings ◽  
Word Level ◽  
Ontological Categories ◽  
Low Levels

AbstractTwo studies investigated whether knowledge about ontological category membership exists early in the word learning process—specifically, when words are partially known—and if so, how such knowledge is represented. Participants made decisions about the ontological category membership of words at three levels of knowledge: words they correctly defined (known), words recognized as familiar (frontier), and words mistakenly identified as nonwords (unknown). Accuracy on this task improved as a function of word level. Participants were able to identify the broad ontological categories to which words at all three levels of knowledge belonged, as well as the more specific ontological categories to which the words belonged. Overall, results indicated that knowledge about ontological category membership is available for words at very low levels of knowledge, and that this knowledge does not necessarily follow the strict hierarchical organization some ontological systems are thought to embody (e.g. Keil 1979). Implications for the acquisition and representation of word meanings are discussed.

Mapping concrete and abstract meanings to new words using verbal contexts

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Mestres-Missé ◽  
Thomas F Münte ◽  
Antoni Rodriguez-Fornells
Keyword(s):  
Concrete Word ◽  
Abstract Word ◽  
Conceptual Information ◽  
Word Meanings ◽  
New Words ◽  
Concreteness Effect ◽  
Context Availability ◽  
Word Concreteness ◽  
Stimulus Materials ◽  
New Evidence

In three experiments, we examine the effects of semantic context and word concreteness on the mapping of existing meanings to new words. We developed a new-word-learning paradigm in which participants were required to discover the meaning of a new-word form from a specific verbal context. The stimulus materials were manipulated according to word concreteness, context availability and semantic congruency across contexts. Overall, participants successfully learned the meaning of the new word whether it was a concrete or an abstract word. Concrete word meanings were discovered and learned faster than abstract word meanings even when matched on context availability. The present results are discussed considering the various hypotheses that have been used to try to explain the ‘concreteness effect’. We conclude that the present investigation provides new evidence that the concreteness effect observed in learning is due to the different organization of abstract and concrete conceptual information in semantic memory.

scholarly journals DIFERENTES ABORDAGENS METODOLÓGICAS NO ENSINO DE GENÉTICA PARA A EDUCAÇÃO BÁSICA

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Matheus Ortega COLA ◽  
Andreia Estela Moreira SOUZA
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Primary Education ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Difficulty Level ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
School Students ◽  
Teaching Process ◽  
Methodological Approaches ◽  
Teaching Learning

A genética constitui subárea central da biologia, cuja compreensão é necessária para entendimento e interligação entre diversos conteúdos. Embora os temas de genética estejam presentes em nossa vida cotidiana, a abstração dos conteúdos torna difícil sua assimilação, desmotivando alunos a aprendê-los e professores a ensiná-los. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo aplicar diferentes abordagens metodológicas facilitadoras do processo de ensino e aprendizagem em genética. A pesquisa foi descritiva de campo e quali-quantitativa. A amostra foi composta por 12 alunos do 1º Ano do ensino médio de uma escola estadual e 21 professores da educação básica. Foram formulados jogos, materiais didáticos e aulas práticas. Após a execução das metodologias, foram aplicados pré e pós-testes para verificação da aprendizagem. A partir da análise de dados, observou-se maior porcentagem de acertos nos pós-testes evidenciando que as metodologias aplicadas favoreceram o processo de ensino aprendizagem. Os docentes relataram que genética é a disciplina com maior dificuldade de ensino em biologia e que as limitações para aplicar estratégias diversificadas são o controle da sala, o tempo para preparo da aula e a sua duração. A rotina do professor também faz parte do processo, devendo a educação ser repensada no seu contexto global focando aluno, professor e ambiente escolar, com valorização do magistério, aumento de recursos destinados a escolas e a programas de formação e capacitação docente. A partir deste trabalho, foi possível concluir que a utilização de diferentes metodologias de genética auxilia no processo de aprendizagem e torna as aulas mais atrativas, propiciando gosto pelo aprender.   DIFFERENT METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO GENETICS TEACHING FOR PRIMARY EDUCATION   ABSTRACT Genetics is a biology central subarea, in which its comprehension is necessary to understand and interconnect several subjects. Although the genetics topics are present on a daily basis, the content abstraction makes their understanding difficult, demotivating either students to learn or teachers to teach.  The present paper aims to apply different methodological approaches facilitating the genetics teaching process. It was descriptive, qualitative, and quantitative field research. The sample comprised 12 freshman high school students at a public school, and 21 primary education teachers. Games, didactic material, and practice were developed. After applying the methodologies, pre-tests and post-tests were applied to verify the learning process. Drawing on data analysis, it was observed a higher percentage of success for post-tests, highlighting that the methodologies that were applied benefited the teaching-learning process.  Teachers reported that genetics is the subject with the highest difficulty level when teaching biology, student’s misbehavior in class is a limiting factor for them when applying strategies, as well as the lesson planning, and class duration. Teacher’s routine is also part of the process, education might be re-evaluated in a global context focusing on the student, teachers, and the school environment, teaching appreciation, increase in the resources allocated to schools, and training programs for teachers. In light of this paper, it was possible to conclude that the use of different methodologies to genetics teaching help in the learning-teaching process, making classes more appealing and arousing interest to learn.   Keywords: Genetics. Methodology. Ludic. Practice. Teaching. Learning.

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