Lexis and Semantics Flashcards
Age and number of words
12 months - 50 words
24 months - 200 words
36 months - 2000
Proto words (children’s first words)
An invented word that has a consistent meaning e.g, ‘mmmat’ or ‘num num’ used to direct when they want food
Holophrase (children’s first words)
A single word expressing a whole idea e.g. a child may use the word ‘on’ to mean anything from ‘turn on to the TV’ to ‘put my shoes on’ to ‘lift me up onto the chair.’
- On these occasions, single words are taking the place of more complex grammatical constructions
Why are first words often proper or concrete nouns?
- children can link a word and the referent (object it describes) quite easily as they can usually see it e.g. visual representation in a book
- the social and interactive nature of these words also indicate the importance of interacting with others, suggesting that pragmatic awareness it vital to early language development
- early vocabulary contains content words (nouns, verbs, adjectives)
- function words (determiners, prepositions, auxiliary verbs) have a grammatical rather than semantic function and are acquired later
Vocative
A form (especially a noun) used to address a person e.g. mummy
Content word
A type of word that has an independent ‘dictionary’ meaning, also called a lexical word
Function word
A word with role of expressing a grammatical relationship
Katherine Nelson (1973) 4 word categories
- Naming (nouns: 60% of first words) e.g. Jasper, socks, Daddy, quack-quack
- Actions/Events (verbs: second largest group) e.g. woof, poo, book, bang, cuddle, jump
- Describing/Modifiers (third) e.g. more, my, hot, nice, two
- Personal/Social words (make up 8% of sample) e.g. bye-bye, hello, no, yes, please
Hyponymy
The link between lexical items that divides into hypernyms and hyponyms.
Once children expand their vocabulary they use network building to sort the words.
Hypernyms vs Hyponyms
Hypernyms: A superordinate - a word that is generic and has specific words under it e.g. clothes
Hyponyms: A more specific word for the generic hypernym e.g. socks, shoes, coat, pants, t-shirts, wellies
Lexical errors
Under-extension (less common): Children giving words a definition narrower than they are (only seeing a narrow meaning) e.g. “duck” being used to refer to toy/cartoon ducks but not real ones
Over-extension (more common): Children giving words a definition larger than what they are (over extending a words meaning) e.g. extending word “dog” to any four-legged household pet
Leslie Rescorlas types of over-extension
Categorical (60%): name for one member of a category is extended to all members of one category e.g. “apple” used for all round fruit
Analogical (15%): word for one object is extended to one in a different category e.g. “balls” used for all fruit
Mismatch (25%): one word sentences that appear abstract - child makes statement about one object in relation to another e.g. saying “duck” when looking at an empty pond
Jean Aitchinsons stages of children’s lexical and semantic development
Labelling: linking words to the objects to which they refer, understanding things can be labelled
Packaging: exploring the labels and to what they can apply; over/under extension occurs in order to eventually understand the range of a words meaning
Network building: making connections between words, understanding similarities (synonym) and opposites in meanings (antonyms) e.g. big and small, smooth and rough, nice and yummy, horrible and yucky
Analysis (things to annotate and include)
- use of colloquial forms
- Lexis from various semantic fields
- 2-word phrases (possibly learned as units)
- degree of function words alongside content words
- identify relevant Nelson category and do they follow the order
- evidence of understanding/ misunderstanding hyponyms
- over/under extension examples and what type (Rescorlas theory)
- which Aitchinson stage are they at
Eve Clarks research
Common adjectives (‘nice’, ‘big’) are among children’s first 50 words, but spatial adjectives (wide/narrow, thick/thin) are acquired later
