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Task-appropriate input supports word–object association in 14-month-old female infants

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2019

Laurel FAIS  and
Eric VATIKIOTIS-BATESON
Laurel FAIS*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia
Eric VATIKIOTIS-BATESON
Affiliation:
Department of Linguistics and, Cognitive Systems Program, University of British Columbia
*
*Corresponding author: 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BCV6T 1Z4, Canada. E-mail: lfais@psych.ubc.ca
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Abstract

Fourteen-month-old infants are unable to link minimal pair nonsense words with novel objects (Stager & Werker, 1997). Might an adult's productions in a word learning context support minimal pair word–object association in these infants? We recorded a mother interacting with her 24-month-old son, and with her 5-month-old son, producing nonsense words bin and din. We used these productions to determine if they had a differential effect on 14-month-old infants’ word–object association abilities. Females hearing the words spoken to the older infant, but not those to the younger, succeeded. We suggest that the task-appropriateness of utterances can support infant word learning.

Keywords

word learninginfant-directed speechtask-appropriate communicative intent
Type
Brief Research Reports
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 47 , Special Issue 2: The Influence of Input Quality and Communicative Interaction on Language Development Part 2 , March 2020 , pp. 472 - 482
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019

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