ERIC Number: EJ1231519
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Nov
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0305-0009
EISSN: N/A
Do Children Really Acquire Dense Neighbourhoods?
Jones, Samuel David; Brandt, Silke
Journal of Child Language, v46 n6 p1260-1273 Nov 2019
Children learn high phonological neighbourhood density words more easily than low phonological neighbourhood density words (Storkel, 2004). However, the strength of this effect relative to alternative predictors of word acquisition is unclear. We addressed this issue using communicative inventory data from 300 British English-speaking children aged 12 to 25 months. Using Bayesian regression, we modelled word understanding and production as a function of: (i) phonological neighbourhood density, (ii) frequency, (iii) length, (iv) babiness, (v) concreteness, (vi) valence, (vii) arousal, and (viii) dominance. Phonological neighbourhood density predicted word production but not word comprehension, and this effect was stronger in younger children.
Descriptors: Child Language, Language Acquisition, Phonology, Vocabulary Development, English, Word Recognition, Word Frequency
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
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