ERIC Number: EJ1096460
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Apr
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1081-4159
EISSN: N/A
Semantic Integration and Age of Acquisition Effects in Code-Blend Comprehension
Giezen, Marcel R.; Emmorey, Karen
Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, v21 n2 p213-221 Apr 2016
Semantic and lexical decision tasks were used to investigate the mechanisms underlying code-blend facilitation: the finding that hearing bimodal bilinguals comprehend signs in American Sign Language (ASL) and spoken English words more quickly when they are presented together simultaneously than when each is presented alone. More robust facilitation effects were observed for semantic decision than for lexical decision, suggesting that lexical integration of signs and words within a code-blend occurs primarily at the semantic level, rather than at the level of form. Early bilinguals exhibited greater facilitation effects than late bilinguals for English (the dominant language) in the semantic decision task, possibly because early bilinguals are better able to process early visual cues from ASL signs and use these to constrain English word recognition. Comprehension facilitation via semantic integration of words and signs is consistent with co-speech gesture research demonstrating facilitative effects of gesture integration on language comprehension.
Descriptors: Semantics, American Sign Language, Bilingual Education, Lexicology, Coding, Word Recognition, Reading Comprehension, Nonverbal Communication, Task Analysis, Visual Stimuli, Cues, Cognitive Processes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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