The Influence of Prosodic Stress Patterns and Semantic Depth on Novel Word Learning in Typically Developing Children

Abstract

The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of prosodic stress patterns and semantic depth on word learning. Twelve preschool-aged children with typically developing speech and language skills participated in a word learning task. Novel words with either a trochaic or iambic prosodic pattern were embedded in one of two learning conditions, either in children's stories (semantically rich) or picture matching games (semantically sparse). Three main analyses were used to measure word learning: comprehension and production probes, phonetic accuracy, and speech motor stability. Results revealed that prosodic frequency and density influence the learnability of novel words, and that there are prosodic neighborhood density effects. The impact of semantic depth on word learning was minimal and likely depends on the amount of experience with the novel words.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to extend our gratitude to Laurence Leonard, Anne Smith, and Amanda Seidl for their feedback throughout this project. We would also like to thank Holly Storkel for her generosity in sharing her story and game images and scripts, and Peter Richtsmeier and Janna Berlin for their assistance with multiple phases of this project. This research was funded by NIH grant DC04826.