Development of Meaning: Lexis + Semantics

Question 1

Define Productive Vocabulary.

Answer 1

Development of Meaning: Lexis + Semantics
- Productive Vocabulary: term used to describe the words a person is able to use, either in speech or writing.

Question 2

Define Receptive Vocabulary.

Answer 2

Development of Meaning: Lexis + Semantics
- Receptive Vocabulary: relates to the words a person recognises/understands (but doesn’t use)
- Likely to be larger than their productive vocabulary.

Question 3

Explain Over-Extension + the different kinds.

Answer 3

Development of Meaning: Lexis + Semantics
- Over-Extension: virtuous semantic error: widening the meaning of a word so that it extends to apply not just to the actual object but also to other objects with similar properties/functions.
-Leslie Rescorla (1980) stated overextension can be divided into 3 kinds: categorical, analogical + predicate.
- Categorical Overextension: most commonly occurring form of overextension, + relates to confusing a hypernym (broad category, e.g. fruit) with a hyponym. (E.g. apple for all fruit)
-Analogical Overextension: associating objects which are unrelated but which have one or more features in common (e.g. both being the same colour)
-Predicate Overextension: conveying meaning that relates to absence (e.g. making the utterances ‘cat’ when looking at the cat’s empty basket)

Question 4

Explain Aitchison’s (1987) Process of Sorting Objects + Experiences into Meaningful Categories.

Answer 4

Aitchison (1987) identified a process of sorting objects + experiences into meaningful categories, into 3 distinct stages: Labelling, Packaging + Network Building. Stages are separate in that they all describe different processes; doesn’t mean to say that there’s no overlap in terms of a child reaching them.
- Labelling: process of attaching words to objects; as child learns more about the world their capacity to connect words with an increasing range of objects grows.
- Packaging: in trying to ascertain the boundaries of the label the child sometimes confuses hypernyms + hyponyms, giving rise to over- + underextensions.
- Network Building: having labelled objects children start to identify connections between them, recognising similarities + differences.

Question 5

Define Under-Extension.

Answer 5

Development of Meaning: Lexis + Semantics
-Underextension: When meaning ascribed to a word is narrower than the meaning it has in adult language; using a hyponym instead of a hypernym
- E.g. child may use the word ‘cat’ instead of ‘pet’

Question 6

Define Hyponyms + Hypernyms.

Answer 6

Development of Meaning: Lexis + Semantics
- Hyponyms: examples within categories (e.g. pony, truck + sherbet lemons) are all hyponyms.
- Hypernyms: categories (e.g. pets, vehicles + sweets) are all hypernyms

Question 7

Define Labelling.

Answer 7

Development of Meaning: Lexis + Semantics
Aitchision (1987): 1st stage
- Labelling: process of attaching words to objects; as child learns more about the world their capacity to connect words with an increasing range of objects grows.

Question 8

Define Packaging.

Answer 8

Development of Meaning: Lexis + Semantics.
Aitchison (1987): 2nd stage
- Packaging: in trying to ascertain the boundaries of the label the child sometimes confuses hypernyms + hyponyms, giving rise to over- + underextensions.

Question 9

Define Network Building.

Answer 9

Development of Meaning: Lexis + Semantics
Aitchison (1987): 3rd stage
- Network Building: having labelled objects children start to identify connections between them, recognising similarities (synonyms) and differences (antonyms).
- E.g. hot/cold, little/small