lexical development
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2022 ◽  
pp. 002383092110660
Author(s):  
John Grinstead ◽  
Pedro Ortiz-Ramírez ◽  
Ximena Carreto-Guadarrama ◽  
Ana Arrieta-Zamudio ◽  
Amy Pratt ◽  
...  

We review an array of experimental methodological factors that either contribute to or detract from the measurement of pragmatic implicatures in child language. We carry out a truth value judgment task to measure children’s interpretations of the Spanish existential quantifier algunos in implicature-consistent and implicature-inconsistent contexts. Independently, we take measures of children’s inhibition, working memory, attention, approximate number ability, phrasal syntax, and lexicon. We model the interplay of these variables using a piecewise structural equation model (SEM), common in the life sciences, but not in the social and behavioral sciences. By 6 years of age, the children in our sample were not statistically different from adults in their interpretations. Syntax, lexicon, and inhibition significantly predict implicature generation, each accounting for unique variance. The approximate number system and inhibition significantly predict lexical development. The statistical power of the piecewise SEM components, with a sample of 64 children, is high, in comparison to a traditional, globally estimated SEM of the same data.


Author(s):  
Stephanie De Anda ◽  
Lauren M. Cycyk ◽  
Heather Moore ◽  
Lidia Huerta ◽  
Anne L. Larson ◽  
...  

Purpose: Despite the increasing population of dual language learners (DLLs) in the United States, vocabulary measures for young DLLs have largely relied on instruments developed for monolinguals. The multistudy project reports on the psychometric properties of the English–Spanish Vocabulary Inventory (ESVI), which was designed to capture unique cross-language measures of lexical knowledge that are critical for assessing DLLs' vocabulary, including translation equivalents (whether the child knows the words for the same concept in each language), total vocabulary (the number of words known across both languages), and conceptual vocabulary (the number of words known that represent unique concepts in either language). Method: Three studies included 87 Spanish–English DLLs ( M age = 26.58 months, SD = 2.86 months) with and without language delay from two geographic regions. Multiple measures (e.g., caregiver report, observation, behavioral tasks, and standardized assessments) determined content validity, construct validity, social validity, and criterion validity of the ESVI. Results: Monolingual instruments used in bilingual contexts significantly undercounted lexical knowledge as measured on the ESVI. Scores on the ESVI were related to performance on other measures of communication, indicating acceptable content, construct, and criterion validity. Social validity ratings were similarly positive. ESVI scores were also associated with suspected language delay. Conclusions: These studies provide initial evidence of the adequacy of the ESVI for use in research and clinical contexts with young children learning English and Spanish (with or without a language delay). Developing tools such as the ESVI promotes culturally and linguistically responsive practices that support accurate assessment of DLLs' lexical development. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.17704391


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (12) ◽  
pp. 80
Author(s):  
José Ramón Calvo-Ferrer ◽  
Jose Belda-Medina

Vocabulary learning has been traditionally considered central to second language learning. It may take place either intentionally, by means of deliberate attempts to commit factual information to memory, or incidentally, as a consequence of other cognitive processes involving comprehension. Video games, which have been extensively employed in educational contexts to understand lexical development in foreign languages, foster both exposure to and the production of authentic and meaning-focused vocabulary. An empirical study was conducted to explore the effect of playing an online multiplayer social deduction game (i.e., a game in which players attempt to uncover each other’s hidden role) on incidental and intentional second language (L2) vocabulary learning. Secondary school pre-intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students (n = 54) took a vocabulary pre-test that identified eight unknown words likely to appear in the video game Among Us. Then, students were randomly assigned to different groups of players and to different learning conditions—within each group, half of the players were given a list of phrases containing such target words, which they were encouraged to meaningfully use in the game by means of written interaction. In doing so, students learnt some target words intentionally and provided contextualized incidental exposure to other players. They took a vocabulary test after two sessions of practice with the game to explore intentional and incidental L2 vocabulary learning gains. The pre- and post-tests suggested, among other results, that players using new L2 words in the game Among Us would retain more vocabulary than players only encountering them, that vocabulary intentionally input helped other users trigger incidental vocabulary learning, and that repetition had a positive effect on L2 vocabulary learning.


Author(s):  
Māris Baltiņš ◽  

This research is a part of the analysis of the collection of articles of the Latvian Literary Society (Lettisch-literärische Gesellschaft) Magazin, herausgegeben von der Lettisch-Literärischen Gesellschaft (so-called “Magazin”) with special emphasis to the materials important in the history of Latvian language, especially, of the development of terminology in Latvian. This paper deals with the almost forgotten author Pēteris Zēvalds (Peter Seewald) (ca. 1838/1839–1910), a schoolteacher in Jelgava (Mitau) and active contributor of “Magazin” from 1865 to 1877. In 12 sequels (published in eight issues of “Magazin”), he collected 2198 words and expressions from his native place, now Birzgale parish, originally, from the private manor in Linde parish (aus Privatgut Lindenschen Gemeinde in Kurland)). This paper provides a more detailed analysis of two other word collections (both published in 1874 in issue 3 of XV volume of “Magazin”) of Zēvalds. They contained current lexis, including a lot of new terms. The first one is created as a successive excerpt of neologisms and lesser-known words (in Latvian-German comparison) from the weekly newspaper “Baltijas Vēstnesis” (using numbers 44th, 48th, 49th un 51st from 1872 and successive first 49 from 1873, excl. number 9th). There are 467 numbered entries or 495 words in total. Most of the words in Zēvalds’s collection are related to terminological lexis. They can be divided into four groups (indicating the serial number used in the original): (1) terms currently used in the same form or with minor changes of ending (7. greizsirdība, 29. pilnvare, 41. māksla, 33. cēlons, 69. veicināšana, 88. pirmvaloda, 237. izvilktne (= atvilktne), 275. viels); (2) terms which have a different correspondence in modern Latvian (32. valodas=iztirzāšana (= valodniecība), Sprachforschung; 49. lietuve (= lejkanna), Gieskanne; 54. rakstiens (=raksts, dokuments), Schriftstück; 183. atvēles=zīme (= atļauja), Erlaubnißschein; 187. jūras=pāržmauga (= jūrasšaurums), Meerenge); (3) words, that could still be considered as potential terms (11. tiesas=laulība, Zivilehe; 37. sauljumte, Sonnenschirm) and (4) those, which, from the moment of fixation, can be considered occasional words (43. spīdgans, Sternschnuppen, Meteor; 387. muldu=valsts, Reich der Träume; 409. tulpete (= runas=vieta), Katheder, Rednerbühne). Zēvalds’s collection is a unique material that allows identifying the perception of the interested reader about the lexical neologisms in one newspaper. Zēvalds’s second collection of words contains the technical expressions from legal country house purchase agreements. There are 83 numbered entries (in German-Latvian comparison) from the legal contract written in German with a lot of additional conditions and long pay-outs delay. This list (at least the part containing legal terms and terminological word-groups) can be regarded as the first term bulletin in Latvian. The possible addressee of this term list is the parish pastors to whom farmers sought advice on such matters. Publications of the teacher Pēteris Zēvalds is a small but interesting episode in the history of the Latvian language, which has not earned attention so far but provides researchers with interesting material about the lexical development in the 70s of XIX century.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
TJ Boutorwick

<p>This thesis compares two approaches to extensive reading to determine the extent that they facilitate vocabulary development. The first approach is a traditional reading-only approach, and the second approach is a task-based approach which supplements reading with post-reading meaning-focused discussions. These two approaches are compared using a battery of tests, most notably a measure for productive knowledge of word associations.  For years, scholars have believed that word associations have potential to reveal important information about a person’s language proficiency. One reason word associations are intriguing is that a large amount of a person’s lexicon can be assessed (Meara, 2009). This is possible because a large amount of data from the learner can be gathered in a short period of time. Another intriguing aspect of word association data is that it is one aspect of vocabulary knowledge that is not based on correct performance. This raises the question of an appropriate means of assigning value to the associations, a question which still hinders research to this day. Recent research has made progress in this area with a multi-level taxonomy (i.e., Fitzpatrick, 2007), creating a picture of the types of associations which exist in a learner’s lexicon. However, this taxonomy does not address the strength of the association. Wilks and Meara (2007) have attempted to tackle association strength through the use of self-report measures, whereby a test-taker reports strength of association on a four-point scale from weak to strong. This has left them with "...problems which we have not yet solved, notably a tendency for some test takers to claim that most associations are strong, while others appear to be very reluctant to identify strong associations..." (Meara, 2009, p. 80). In other words, the question of how to appropriately determine association strength is still unanswered.  In the current study lexical development, in the form of word association knowledge, was measured using a multi-response word association test. Participants were assessed on their knowledge of 60 target words which occurred in five graded readers that they read over the course of the study. The learners first self-reported their knowledge of the 60 target words in terms of no knowledge, form knowledge, or meaning knowledge. The students provided up to five associations for each word that they reported at either the form or meaning levels. They did this once before reading the five graded readers, and again after finishing the graded readers.  The associations provided by the students were analyzed using Latent Semantic Analysis, a method for computing semantic similarity between words (Landauer & Dumais, 1997). The associations a learner provided for each target word were assigned a similarity value representing how similar they were to the target word to which they were provided. The hypothesis was that the students who engaged in the post-reading discussion activities would show greater increases in associational knowledge of the target words than those students who did not participate in the discussions.  The major finding from this thesis was that the students who struggled with a word during the post-reading discussion and were provided an opportunity to discuss the word with their group developed associational knowledge to a significantly greater degree than those students who did not encounter the words during the discussions. This emphasizes the facilitative role that meaning-focused output activities have on vocabulary development. In addition, the associational knowledge developed at the initial stages of word learning (i.e., from no knowledge to form knowledge), continued to develop from form knowledge of a word to meaning knowledge of the word, and was also developing even when words did not change in reported knowledge. This suggests a continual restructuring of the learners’ lexicon, exemplifying past research (e.g., Henriksen, 1999). Overall, the findings suggest that an extensive reading approach which includes opportunities for meaning-focused interaction has greater benefits for lexical development when compared to a traditional reading-only approach to extensive reading.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
TJ Boutorwick

<p>This thesis compares two approaches to extensive reading to determine the extent that they facilitate vocabulary development. The first approach is a traditional reading-only approach, and the second approach is a task-based approach which supplements reading with post-reading meaning-focused discussions. These two approaches are compared using a battery of tests, most notably a measure for productive knowledge of word associations.  For years, scholars have believed that word associations have potential to reveal important information about a person’s language proficiency. One reason word associations are intriguing is that a large amount of a person’s lexicon can be assessed (Meara, 2009). This is possible because a large amount of data from the learner can be gathered in a short period of time. Another intriguing aspect of word association data is that it is one aspect of vocabulary knowledge that is not based on correct performance. This raises the question of an appropriate means of assigning value to the associations, a question which still hinders research to this day. Recent research has made progress in this area with a multi-level taxonomy (i.e., Fitzpatrick, 2007), creating a picture of the types of associations which exist in a learner’s lexicon. However, this taxonomy does not address the strength of the association. Wilks and Meara (2007) have attempted to tackle association strength through the use of self-report measures, whereby a test-taker reports strength of association on a four-point scale from weak to strong. This has left them with "...problems which we have not yet solved, notably a tendency for some test takers to claim that most associations are strong, while others appear to be very reluctant to identify strong associations..." (Meara, 2009, p. 80). In other words, the question of how to appropriately determine association strength is still unanswered.  In the current study lexical development, in the form of word association knowledge, was measured using a multi-response word association test. Participants were assessed on their knowledge of 60 target words which occurred in five graded readers that they read over the course of the study. The learners first self-reported their knowledge of the 60 target words in terms of no knowledge, form knowledge, or meaning knowledge. The students provided up to five associations for each word that they reported at either the form or meaning levels. They did this once before reading the five graded readers, and again after finishing the graded readers.  The associations provided by the students were analyzed using Latent Semantic Analysis, a method for computing semantic similarity between words (Landauer & Dumais, 1997). The associations a learner provided for each target word were assigned a similarity value representing how similar they were to the target word to which they were provided. The hypothesis was that the students who engaged in the post-reading discussion activities would show greater increases in associational knowledge of the target words than those students who did not participate in the discussions.  The major finding from this thesis was that the students who struggled with a word during the post-reading discussion and were provided an opportunity to discuss the word with their group developed associational knowledge to a significantly greater degree than those students who did not encounter the words during the discussions. This emphasizes the facilitative role that meaning-focused output activities have on vocabulary development. In addition, the associational knowledge developed at the initial stages of word learning (i.e., from no knowledge to form knowledge), continued to develop from form knowledge of a word to meaning knowledge of the word, and was also developing even when words did not change in reported knowledge. This suggests a continual restructuring of the learners’ lexicon, exemplifying past research (e.g., Henriksen, 1999). Overall, the findings suggest that an extensive reading approach which includes opportunities for meaning-focused interaction has greater benefits for lexical development when compared to a traditional reading-only approach to extensive reading.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Rebecca Hamilton White

<p>This thesis constitutes a mixed-methods enquiry into how vocabulary develops across adolescence, within the context of New Zealand secondary schools. A quantitative approach was adopted to investigate vocabulary use in authentic written essays produced by secondary school English students (N=141) belonging to three age groups: 13-14, 15-16, and 17-18, from eight schools. Essays were analysed for the following three lexical richness features: lexical variation, lexical sophistication, and lexical density. With links between these lexical richness features and vocabulary size/skill in vocabulary use (Vermeer, 2000; Ravid & Zilberbuch, 2003; Malvern, Richards, Chipere, & Durán, 2009), signs of development were studied through comparison of scores across the three age groups. Quantitative findings indicate significant lexical development across year levels in the data set. Furthermore, the findings suggest that within the period of adolescence there is an even more specific period in which substantial development takes place: 15-18 years, or later adolescence.  The qualitative aspect of this study focussed on identifying teacher perspectives on influences from within the secondary school context impacting on vocabulary development during this significant period of acquisition. Seven secondary school English teachers were interviewed on the subject of lexical development as it occurs within the schooling environment. Contributions from the school curriculum to vocabulary acquisition were observed, with spikes in curriculum difficulty from year 11 (age 15-16) onward corresponding with the developmental spike observed in the quantitative data further supporting this observation. Non-schooling related influences were also identified, including cognitive development, reading habits, and attitude and orientation toward vocabulary.  The present study contributes to the growing field of later language acquisition through identification of a possible period of heightened development within the adolescent years. Importantly, it also highlights factors in students’ everyday school lives which may contribute to their lexical development, raising implications both for those wishing to promote lexical development within the secondary school population, and more globally for our understanding of how heightened development occurs during this period. The study concludes with implications for theory, research and practice, together with limitations of the study and future research directions arising from this research.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Rebecca Hamilton White

<p>This thesis constitutes a mixed-methods enquiry into how vocabulary develops across adolescence, within the context of New Zealand secondary schools. A quantitative approach was adopted to investigate vocabulary use in authentic written essays produced by secondary school English students (N=141) belonging to three age groups: 13-14, 15-16, and 17-18, from eight schools. Essays were analysed for the following three lexical richness features: lexical variation, lexical sophistication, and lexical density. With links between these lexical richness features and vocabulary size/skill in vocabulary use (Vermeer, 2000; Ravid & Zilberbuch, 2003; Malvern, Richards, Chipere, & Durán, 2009), signs of development were studied through comparison of scores across the three age groups. Quantitative findings indicate significant lexical development across year levels in the data set. Furthermore, the findings suggest that within the period of adolescence there is an even more specific period in which substantial development takes place: 15-18 years, or later adolescence.  The qualitative aspect of this study focussed on identifying teacher perspectives on influences from within the secondary school context impacting on vocabulary development during this significant period of acquisition. Seven secondary school English teachers were interviewed on the subject of lexical development as it occurs within the schooling environment. Contributions from the school curriculum to vocabulary acquisition were observed, with spikes in curriculum difficulty from year 11 (age 15-16) onward corresponding with the developmental spike observed in the quantitative data further supporting this observation. Non-schooling related influences were also identified, including cognitive development, reading habits, and attitude and orientation toward vocabulary.  The present study contributes to the growing field of later language acquisition through identification of a possible period of heightened development within the adolescent years. Importantly, it also highlights factors in students’ everyday school lives which may contribute to their lexical development, raising implications both for those wishing to promote lexical development within the secondary school population, and more globally for our understanding of how heightened development occurs during this period. The study concludes with implications for theory, research and practice, together with limitations of the study and future research directions arising from this research.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ferenc Kemény ◽  
Ágnes Lukács

Purpose: Studies on the interface between statistical learning and language are dominated by its role in word segmentation and association with grammar skills, while research on its role in lexical development is scarce. The current study is aimed at exploring whether and how statistical learning and verbal short-term memory are associated with lexical skills in typically developing German-speaker primary school children (Experiment 1) and Hungarian-speaking children with developmental language disorder (DLD, Experiment 2).Methods: We used the language-relevant Peabody Picture Vocabulary Tests to measure individual differences in vocabulary. Statistical learning skills were assessed with the Weather Prediction task, in which participants learn probabilistic cue-outcome associations based on item-based feedback. Verbal short-term memory span was assessed with the Forward digit span task.Results: Hierarchical linear regression modelling was used to test the contribution of different functions to vocabulary size. In TD children, statistical learning skills had an independent contribution to vocabulary size over and above age, receptive grammatical abilities and short-term memory, whereas working memory did not have an independent contribution. The pattern was reverse in SLI: Vocabulary size was predicted by short-term memory skills over and above age, receptive grammar and statistical learning, whereas statistical learning had no independent contribution.Conclusion: Our results suggest that lexical development rely on different underlying memory processes in typical development and in developmental language disorder to different degrees. This qualitative difference is discussed in the light of different stages of lexical development, as well as the contribution of the different human memory systems to vocabulary acquisition.


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