The role of sound symbolism in language learning

Monaghan, Padraic and Mattock, Karen and Walker, Peter (2012) The role of sound symbolism in language learning. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 38 (5). pp. 1152-1164. ISSN 0278-7393

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Abstract

Certain correspondences between the sound and meaning of words can be observed in subsets of the vocabulary. These sound-symbolic relationships have been suggested to result in easier language acquisition, but previous studies have explicitly tested effects of sound symbolism on learning category distinctions but not on word learning. In 2 word learning experiments, we varied the extent to which phonological properties related to a rounded–angular shape distinction and we distinguished learning of categories from learning of individual words. We found that sound symbolism resulted in an advantage for learning categories of sound-shape mappings but did not assist in learning individual word meanings. These results are consistent with the limited presence of sound symbolism in natural language. The results also provide a reinterpretation of the role of sound symbolism in language learning and language origins and a greater specification of the conditions under which sound symbolism proves advantageous for learning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/researchoutput/libraryofcongress/bf
Subjects:
?? PSYCHOLOGYEXPERIMENTAL AND COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGYBF PSYCHOLOGY ??
ID Code:
54131
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
15 May 2012 13:48
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
18 Sep 2023 00:31