The efficacy of a training program to teach kindergarteners lexical ambiguity detection.
Item
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Title
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The efficacy of a training program to teach kindergarteners lexical ambiguity detection.
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Identifier
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AAI3296949
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identifier
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3296949
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Creator
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Shakibai, Margaret Theresa.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Helen S. Cairns
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Date
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2008
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Language, Linguistics | Education, Language and Literature
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Abstract
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Lexical ambiguity detection is the ability to recognize that some words and sentences have more than one meaning, (e.g. "The glasses fell on the floor and broke"). Lexical ambiguity detection skills and reading comprehension have been linked in past research (Cairns, Waltzman, & Schlisselberg, 2004). Additionally, certain types of ambiguity detection are necessary to understand "sarcasm, idiomatic expression, deceit and humor" (Rinaldi, 2000), which is a difficult skill for some children (Wiig, 1989), especially those with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) (Leonard, 2002; Rinaldi, 2000).;The present study focused on the effects of lexical ambiguity detection training of typically developing children in kindergarten. Children were asked to identify not only noun/noun homophones (e.g., bat) (Peters & Zaidel, 1980), but also noun/verb homophones (e.g., rock), which have never been studied. Furthermore, this study is the first to compare homophone detection ability with the ability to detect lexically ambiguous sentences using the same homophone pairs.;Thirty-four kindergarteners (5;5 to 6;6) participated. Each child met individually with the experimenter to complete several pre-tests. Then the children met with the experimenter twice a week for four weeks in small groups. Half of the children received homophone and lexical ambiguity training (experimental group), and the other half received vocabulary training using words that do not have dual meanings (control group). Finally, each child met with the experimenter to complete three post-tests similar to those given during the pre-testing.;Results showed that training does improve kindergarteners' abilities to detect homophones and lexical ambiguities. Furthermore, the knowledge of both meanings of a homophone is not sufficient to report both meanings of a sentence that contains that homophone. Future research may show that children with SLI might also benefit from such training and improvement of lexical ambiguity detection skills in pre-readers, especially those at risk for reading difficulty, could enhance the acquisition of reading.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
