Development of Word Definition Skill in Children: A Review

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Speech Therapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran

2 Phd student in Speech Therapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Speech Therapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

4 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Allame Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background and Aims: In linguistic studies, the word definition task is used for surveying organization of concepts in the mental lexicon. The aim of the present study was to review the literature related to the developmental processing of concepts and organization of them using word definition task.
Materials and methods: Published articles on the subject of the development of word’s definition in children were surveyed using the folowing keywords: word definition, definitional skills, and children within the timeframe of 1965-2014. Databases of ScienceDirect, Springer, GoogleScholar, Elsevier, PubMed, ASHA, and related Iranian studies were used.
Conclusion: In the word definition task, the children were asked to define words. The answers expressed in this task are scored based on content and form. Age, literacy, and meta linguistic awareness are effective factors at presenting the best kind of definition. As the age increases, noun definitions are developed from functional and concrete responses into more abstract and conceptual responses, and also using superordinate terms increases. Increased use of super ordinate terms in definitions indicates that by increasing the age, concepts are organized into hierarchies of connections and superordinates have connection with subordinates.

Keywords

Main Subjects


1. Hoff E.Language development.4th ed. [e book].USA :Wadsworth Publishing Company; 2009 .Available at:URL:http://www. CengageBrain. com:p.4-8.##
2. Paul R. Language disorders from infancy through adolescence: Assessment & intervention.5th ed. USA: Mosby Incorporated; 2007.P.4##
3. Astell AJ, Harley TA. Accessing semantic knowledge in dementia: evidence from a word definition task. Brain Lang. 2002;82(3):312-26. ##
4. Gaskell G. Oxford handbook of psycholinguistics. USA: Oxford University Press; 2007.P.198-202. ##
5. Murphy ML. Semantic relations and the lexicon.[ebook].USA: Cambridge University Press; 2003. Available at:URL:http://catdir.loc.gov.pdf:p.13. ##
6. Luria AR. Language and cognition[H.GHasemzadeh,trans]. Tehran: Arjmand Press; 1996.P.116-123. ##
7. Marinellie SA JC. Adjective definitions and the influence of word frequency. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2003;46(5):1061. ##
8. Dockrell JE MD, George R, Ralli A. Beyond naming patterns in children with WFDs-definitions for nouns and verbs. J Neurolinguistics. 2003;16(2):191-211. ##
9. Marinellie SA, Johnson CJ. Definitional skill in school-age children with specific language impairment. J Commun Disord. 2002;35(3):241-59. ##
10. Al-Issa I. The development of word definition in children. J Genet Psychol. 1969;114(1):25-8. ##
11. Gavriilidou Z. The development of word definitions in Greek preschoolers[Internet]. Democritus University of Thrace.2008.Available at: URL:http://www.ling.ohio-state.edu/icgl/proceedings/9-Gavriilidou-Kedited-88.pdf :5-8. ##
12. Kikas E. The development of word definitions in children. J  Russ East Eur Psychol. 1993;31(2):40-54. ##
13. Malekian M, Shirazi TS, Zarifian T, Rezasoltani P. Review and comparison of content growth in word definition of Persian speaking children with 4.5 to 7.5 years of age. Audiol. 2014;23(4):21-30. ##
 
 
 
 
14. Matloubi S, Zarifian T, Shirazi TS, Bakhshi E. Word Definitional Skills in School age Persian Speaking Children: A Developmental Study on Form. Iran Rehab J. 2015;13(3). ##
15. Johnson CJ, Anglin JM. Qualitative developments in the content and form of children's definitions. J Speech Hear Res. 1995;38(3):612. ##
16. To CKS, Stokes S, Man Y, T’sou B. An analysis of noun definition in Cantonese. Lang Speech. 2013;56(1):105-24. ##
17. Gutierrez-Cleflen VF, DeCurtis L. Word definition skills in Spanish-speaking children with language impairment. Commun Disord Q. 1999;21(1):23-31. ##
18. Shin MJ, Lee HR. Flexible Word Definition of School-Aged Children with Specific Language Impairment. Commun Sciences Disord. 2016;21(1):111-20. ##
19. Mohammadi M, Nilipoor R, Shirazi TS, Rahgozar M. Semantic differences of definitional skills between persian speaking children with specific language impairment and normal language developing children. J Rehab. 2011;12(2):48-55. ##
20. Benelli B, Belacchi C, Gini G, Lucangeli D. To define means to say what you know about things': The development of definitional skills as metalinguistic acquisition. J Child Lang. 2006;33(1):71. ##
21. Chau, Ching Sh,Water. The development of concrete noun and abstract noun definition[Undergraduate Thesis]. Pokfulam :The University of Hong Kong; 2001: 25-30##
22. Chan Y-L, Marinellie SA. Definitions of idioms in preadolescents, adolescents, and adults. J Psycholinguistic Res. 2008;37(1):1-20. ##
23. Snow CE, Cancino H, De Temple J, Schley S. Giving formal definitions: A linguistic or metalinguistic skill. Language processing in bilingual children. 1991.P.90-112. ##
24. Snow CE. The development of definitional skill. J Child Lang. 1990;17(3):697-710. ##
25. Marinellie SA JC. Definitional skill in school-age children with specific language impairment. J commun disord. 2002;35(3):59-241. ##
26. Johnson CJ AJ. Qualitative developments in the content and form of children's definitions. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 1995;38(3):612. ##
27.Rowe ML, editor Decontextualized Language Input and Preschoolers' Vocabulary Development. Seminars in speech and language; 2013: Thieme. ##
28.Marschark M, Convertino C, McEvoy C, Masteller A. Organization and use of the mental lexicon by deaf and hearing individuals. American annals of the deaf. 2004;149(1):51-61. ##
29.Belacchi C, Benelli B. (submitted) Ambergris is not a precious fossil: the development of definitional skills. Deve Psychol. 2005:5-10. ##
30.Walker SJ. Cognitive, Linguistic, and Social Aspects of Adults' Noun Definitions. J  psycholinguist res. 2001;30(2):147-61. ##
31.Marinellie SA, Johnson CJ. Nouns and verbs: A comparison of definitional style. J psycholinguist res. 2004;33(3):217-35. ##
32.Skwarchuk S-L, Anglin JM. Expression of superordinates in children's word definitions. J Educ Psychol. 1997;89(2):298. ##
33.Marinellie SA, Chan Y-L. The effect of word frequency on noun and verb definitions: A developmental study. J Speech, Lang Hear Res. 2006;49(5):1001-21. ##
34.McGhee-Bidlack B. The development of noun definitions: A metalinguistic analysis. J Child Lang. 1991;18(02):417-34. ##
35.Doherty M, Perner J. Metalinguistic awareness and theory of mind: Just two words for the same thing? J Cogn Dev. 1998;13(3):279-305. ##
36.Marinellie SA, Johnson CJ. Adjective definitions and the influence of word frequency. J Speech, Lang Hear Res. 2003;46(5). ##
37.Benelli B, Arcuri L, Marchesini G. Cognitive and linguistic factors in the development of word definitions. J Child Lang. 1988;15(3):619-35. ##
Volume 7, Issue 2
July and August 2018
Pages 277-284
  • Receive Date: 26 July 2017
  • Revise Date: 31 August 2017
  • Accept Date: 18 September 2017
  • First Publish Date: 22 June 2018