How children develop semantic understanding

Question 1

What is semantic development in children?

Answer 1

The process by which children learn and understand the meanings of words and how to use them appropriately.

Question 2

At what age do children typically experience a vocabulary spurt?

Answer 2

Around 18 months, when they rapidly acquire new words.

Question 3

What is overextension in child language acquisition?

Answer 3

When a child uses a word to refer to a broader category than its intended meaning, such as calling all four-legged animals ‘dog.’

Question 4

What is underextension in child language acquisition?

Answer 4

When a child uses a word in a more limited way than its intended meaning, such as using ‘cat’ only for the family pet and not other cats.

Question 5

What is a holophrase?

Answer 5

A single word used by a child to express a complete idea or sentence, like ‘milk’ meaning ‘I want milk.’

Question 6

How does joint attention facilitate semantic development?

Answer 6

Shared focus between a child and caregiver helps the child associate words with their meanings.

Question 7

What is the vocabulary spurt, and when does it typically occur?

Answer 7

A rapid increase in vocabulary acquisition, usually around 18-24 months.

Question 8

Define the term ‘lexical gap.’

Answer 8

A concept for which a child has no word in their vocabulary.

Question 9

How does semantic overgeneralization manifest in children’s speech?

Answer 9

Applying the meaning of a word too broadly using ‘table’ to refer to all types of furniture.

Question 10

What is the role of scaffolding in semantic development?

Answer 10

Caregivers provide support by introducing new vocabulary in meaningful contexts.

Question 11

How do prototypes influence children’s word learning?

Answer 11

Children learn category exemplars (prototypes) first, which helps them understand and generalize word meanings.

Question 12

How do contextual cues assist in word learning?

Answer 12

Children use the surrounding context to infer the meanings of unfamiliar words.

Question 13

What is the significance of the naming explosion in language development?

Answer 13

It marks a period where children rapidly expand their vocabulary, crucial for later language proficiency.

Question 14

What is the difference between a hypernym and a hyponym?

Answer 14

A hypernym is a general term that encompasses a broad category (e.g., ‘fruit’), while a hyponym is a more specific term within that category (e.g., ‘apple’).

Question 15

How does understanding hypernyms and hyponyms contribute to a child’s language development, according to Aitchison?

Answer 15

Grasping the relationships between hypernyms and hyponyms helps children build a structured vocabulary, facilitating more precise and effective communication.

Question 16

What are the three stages of Jean Aitchison’s schema for children’s semantic development?

Answer 16

The three stages are:

1. Labelling: Associating sounds with objects in the environment.
2. Packaging: Understanding a word’s range of meaning, which involves grasping overextensions and underextensions.
3. Network Building: Making connections between words, understanding relationships such as synonyms, antonyms, and hierarchical structures like hyponyms and hypernyms.

Question 17

How does the ‘Packaging’ stage in Aitchison’s schema contribute to a child’s semantic development?

Answer 17

In the ‘Packaging’ stage, children explore the extent of a word’s meaning, learning to differentiate between similar objects and concepts. This process helps them refine their understanding of categories and is crucial for accurate word usage, reducing errors like overextension (applying a word too broadly) and underextension (applying a word too narrowly).