Specifics of foreign language learning in children with hearing disorders

Učenje stranog jezika kao složena ljudska aktivnost tema je koja pokriva širok raspon domena i kao takva je predmet interesa brojnim znanstvenicima. Cilj ovoga rada bio je iznijeti detaljan i cjelovit prikaz svih specifičnosti govornog i jezičnog razvoja te procesa učenja stranog jezika u djece oštećena sluha. Te specifičnosti podrazumijevaju razlike u odnosu na populaciju uredna sluha. Specifičnosti polaze od anatomskih razlika, a obuhvaćaju još i one komunikacijske, psihosocijalne, edukacijske i neurološke. Kao posljedica navedenih razlika, javljaju se i specifičnosti učenja stranog jezika. One uključuju stavove znanstvenika o mogućnostima djece oštećena sluha da ovladaju dvama jezicima i metodološke uvjete za kvalitetno ostvarivanje tog cilja. Naposljetku su iznesene dvije vrste istraživanja dvojezičnosti i učenja stranog jezika u djece oštećena sluha. Prva uključuje jezike u oralnom modalitetu, a druga jezike u dva različita modaliteta. Zaključak izveden na temelju svih danih podataka jest da su, uz sve različitosti, djeca oštećena sluha sposobna ovladati dvama jezicima te da ih u dostizanju tog cilja treba poticati.Foreign language learning as a complex human activity includes a wide range of domains and therefore represents an interesting topic for a large number of researchers. The goal of this work was a detailed presentation of all specific traits of speech and language developement and foreign language learning process in children with hearing disorders. These specifics include differences in regard to the normal-hearing population. The specifics begin with anatomical differences, leading to differences in communication and those of psychosocial, educational and neurological nature. Consequently, specifics of foreign language learning occur. They inculde researchers' opinions regarding possibilities of children with hearing disorders mastering two languages and methodological conditions for high-quality realisation of that goal. Ultimately, two types of researches of bilingualism and foreign language learning in children with hearing disorders are presented. First type refers to languages in oral modality, while second refers to languages in two different modalities. Conclusion drawn from the given data is that children with hearing disorders are capable of mastering two languages, in spite of all dissimilarities, and that they should be given support for achieving that objective

Leksičko obilježje predočivosti u mentalnom leksikonu osoba s afazijom

U ovome se radu istražuje utjecaj obilježja predočivosti na emantičko procesiranje riječi u zadacima s pisanim i auditivnim stimulusom. Rezultati osoba s afazijom pritom su uspoređeni s rezultatima osoba bez jezičnih poteškoća. Za potrebe istraživanja korištena su tri testa iz baterije testova PALPA: Procjena auditivne sinonimije, Procjena pisane sinonimije i Test semantičkih asocijacija čiji je ispitni materijal oblikovan prema stupnju predočivosti stimulusa. Sukladno hipotezi, uočena je značajna razlika u uspješnosti eksperimentalne i kontrolne skupine na svim testovima, pri čemu je eksperimentalna skupina u prosjeku ostvarivala lošije rezultate i to ponajprije u dijelovima zadataka koji su obuhvaćali nisko predočive riječi. Rezultati istraživanja interpretirani su prema modularnome modelu PALPA dovedenom u odnos s hipotezom o dostupnosti konteksta i teorijom dvostrukoga kodiranja.Poteškoće u prepoznavanju nisko predočivih riječi kod osoba s afazijom uzrokovane su otežanim pronalaženjem odgovarajuće reprezentacije u mentalnom leksikonu govornika u kojemu su aktivirani različiti mentalni putovi obrade jezičnih podataka ovisno o modalitetu u kojem je riječ predstavljena

The lexical feature of imageability in the mental lexicon of people with aphasia

U ovome se radu istražuje utjecaj obilježja predočivosti na semantičko procesiranje riječi u zadacima s pisanim i auditivnim stimulusom. Rezultati osoba s afazijom pritom su uspoređeni s rezultatima osoba bez jezičnih poteškoća. Za potrebe istraživanja korištena su tri testa iz baterije testova PALPA: Procjena auditivne sinonimije, Procjena pisane sinonimije i Test semantičkih asocijacija čiji je ispitni materijal oblikovan prema stupnju predočivosti stimulusa. Sukladno hipotezi, uočena je značajna razlika u uspješnosti eksperimentalne i kontrolne skupine na svim testovima, pri čemu je eksperimentalna skupina u prosjeku ostvarivala lošije rezultate i to ponajprije u dijelovima zadataka koji su obuhvaćali nisko predočive riječi. Rezultati istraživanja interpretirani su prema modularnome modelu PALPA dovedenom u odnos s hipotezom o dostupnosti konteksta i teorijom dvostrukoga kodiranja. Poteškoće u prepoznavanju nisko predočivih riječi kod osoba s afazijom uzrokovane su otežanim pronalaženjem odgovarajuće reprezentacije u mentalnom leksikonu govornika u kojemu su aktivirani različiti mentalni putovi obrade jezičnih podataka ovisno o modalitetu u kojem je riječ predstavljena.The lexical feature of imageability is a semantic category of a word which refers to the greater or smaller degree of picturability of a lexeme. While high imageable words are easier to imagine as they evoke a relatively clear mental picture, low imageable words are harder to imagine as they are more abstract. In this paper, we will present the results of the research of lexical processing of spoken and written word in relation to the feature of imageability conducted on the sample of 25 people with aphasia and on 21 participants of the control group. The study investigates whether there is a significant difference in the semantic processing of high and low imageable words in people with aphasia compared to the participants of the control group when presented with a visual or auditive stimulus. The research is motivated by two hypotheses. Firstly, the greater asymmetry in semantic processing of high and low imageable words will be found in people with aphasia compared to the participants of the control group; and secondly, the processing of low imageable words will be less successful in both groups. The research was conducted on the basis of three tests designed to examine the processing of the lexical feature of imageability: Auditory Synonym Judgements, Written Synonym Judgements and Word Semantic Association from the battery of tests PALPA (Psycholinguistic Assessments of Language Processing in Aphasia, Kay at al., 1992), translated into Croatian language and adapted for Croatian speakers. Both hypotheses were confirmed by the results of quantitative (statistical) and qualitative (linguistic – semantic) analysis. Modality dependent pathways of mental processing were interpreted according to the modular model on which PALPA tests were based contextualized within dual-coding theory and context availability theory. The problems with the recognition of the low imageable words are caused by the difficulties in finding appropriate semantic representations in the mental lexicons of speakers. (Balota et al., 2006) This study examines to which extent the abstractness of a word influences its recognition as well as explores how the imageability feature is incorporated in the processing of meaning in the mental lexicon

The lexical feature of imageability in the mental lexicon of people with aphasia

U ovome se radu istražuje utjecaj obilježja predočivosti na semantičko procesiranje riječi u zadacima s pisanim i auditivnim stimulusom. Rezultati osoba s afazijom pritom su uspoređeni s rezultatima osoba bez jezičnih poteškoća. Za potrebe istraživanja korištena su tri testa iz baterije testova PALPA: Procjena auditivne sinonimije, Procjena pisane sinonimije i Test semantičkih asocijacija čiji je ispitni materijal oblikovan prema stupnju predočivosti stimulusa. Sukladno hipotezi, uočena je značajna razlika u uspješnosti eksperimentalne i kontrolne skupine na svim testovima, pri čemu je eksperimentalna skupina u prosjeku ostvarivala lošije rezultate i to ponajprije u dijelovima zadataka koji su obuhvaćali nisko predočive riječi. Rezultati istraživanja interpretirani su prema modularnome modelu PALPA dovedenom u odnos s hipotezom o dostupnosti konteksta i teorijom dvostrukoga kodiranja. Poteškoće u prepoznavanju nisko predočivih riječi kod osoba s afazijom uzrokovane su otežanim pronalaženjem odgovarajuće reprezentacije u mentalnom leksikonu govornika u kojemu su aktivirani različiti mentalni putovi obrade jezičnih podataka ovisno o modalitetu u kojem je riječ predstavljena.The lexical feature of imageability is a semantic category of a word which refers to the greater or smaller degree of picturability of a lexeme. While high imageable words are easier to imagine as they evoke a relatively clear mental picture, low imageable words are harder to imagine as they are more abstract. In this paper, we will present the results of the research of lexical processing of spoken and written word in relation to the feature of imageability conducted on the sample of 25 people with aphasia and on 21 participants of the control group. The study investigates whether there is a significant difference in the semantic processing of high and low imageable words in people with aphasia compared to the participants of the control group when presented with a visual or auditive stimulus. The research is motivated by two hypotheses. Firstly, the greater asymmetry in semantic processing of high and low imageable words will be found in people with aphasia compared to the participants of the control group; and secondly, the processing of low imageable words will be less successful in both groups. The research was conducted on the basis of three tests designed to examine the processing of the lexical feature of imageability: Auditory Synonym Judgements, Written Synonym Judgements and Word Semantic Association from the battery of tests PALPA (Psycholinguistic Assessments of Language Processing in Aphasia, Kay at al., 1992), translated into Croatian language and adapted for Croatian speakers. Both hypotheses were confirmed by the results of quantitative (statistical) and qualitative (linguistic – semantic) analysis. Modality dependent pathways of mental processing were interpreted according to the modular model on which PALPA tests were based contextualized within dual-coding theory and context availability theory. The problems with the recognition of the low imageable words are caused by the difficulties in finding appropriate semantic representations in the mental lexicons of speakers. (Balota et al., 2006) This study examines to which extent the abstractness of a word influences its recognition as well as explores how the imageability feature is incorporated in the processing of meaning in the mental lexicon