Lexical Availability Research Articles

Lengua de Signos Española (LSE) y léxico especializado de las peluquerías. Análisis y propuestas de mejora

This work aims to share the process developed to determine the lexical availability in lexicographic materials of Spanish Sign Language (LSE) for 47 concepts within a specialized field of knowledge: hairdressing. Sign languages, such as LSE in our case, encounter the ongoing necessity, akin to oral languages, of devising novel lexical entities for those concepts devoid of them. To accomplish this, languages have lexical creation mechanisms. Once the search, analysis and discussion process designed for this study was completed, it is determined that LSE dictionaries do not include a Sign for 71.1 % of the concepts examined. Nonetheless, as a result of this study, we present an audiovisual material that captures, in LSE, the 47 Spanish words examined. This outcome owes its realization to the collective endeavor of hairdressing professionals, Deaf individuals, LSE interpreters, and hearing individuals endowed with profound understanding of LSE and the procedures entailed in creating novel Signs. Consequently, it is demonstrated that LSE is a living and rich language capable of addressing any communication needs, regardless of the specialization of the field.

Lexical Availability in Multilingual CLIL: Gender-dependent Differences in English and French

It has been suggested that Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) positively affects learners’ content-related vocabulary. While CLIL has become increasingly popular throughout Spain, the language of instruction in this learning environment has predominantly been English, largely to the neglect of other languages. Calls have consequently been made to conduct comparative research across other languages to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of CLIL irrespective of the language of instruction. In addition, female learners have been found to outperform males in areas of vocabulary such as lexical availability (LA) in English. However, given suggestions that CLIL may blur gender differences, it is unclear whether this difference is also found in a multilingual CLIL context. This study thus aims to determine whether an English advantage is observed in LA in a multilingual CLIL environment, and whether this advantage varies in male and female learners. Results indicate that there is a clear dominance in English over French, regardless of gender. However, analysis across different grades reveals that CLIL instruction has a clear effect on the students’ LA in different languages, but in different ways for male and female learners. The findings are of key importance to CLIL stakeholders wishing to support male and female learners in multilingual classrooms.

EFL learners’ lexical availability: Effect of L1 background and prompt

Lexical availability studies provide valuable insights into learners’ breadth and depth of controlled productive vocabulary, and structure of their lexicon. Yet, little is known about the performance of different-L1 learners on different prompts. Likewise, this study compared the available lexicon of three different-L1 groups of learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) (L1-Persian, L1-Arabic, and L1-Turkish) to explore whether first language (L1) background and type of prompt (concrete vs. abstract) yield quantitative and qualitative differences in retrieving available lexicon. An online New Vocabulary Levels Test and a lexical availability task were administered to 116 tertiary different-L1 EFL learners. Studying concrete and abstract prompts would uncover the intricate cognitive processes in word processing and retrieval, and semantic organization. The findings revealed that both L1 background and type of prompt impacted their lexical availability output, resulting in differences between the groups in the words generated for different prompts on the task. L1-Persian learners outperformed L1-Arabic and L1-Turkish learners in terms of number and quality of the words for the task. Moreover, the type of prompt meaningfully interacted with L1 background in eliciting words on the task; the three groups differed in word retrieval on both prompts but generated more words on concrete, than abstract, prompts. Thus, EFL teachers and materials developers can improve vocabulary instruction via considering L1 background in selecting or designing teaching materials or syllabi. Additionally, more tasks with abstract words would increase exposure to such words, and thus their ease in retrieval.

Spanish Students’ Categorical Perceptions of Feminist Movements

Identifying a society’s perceptions and, by extension, opinions of a certain social movement can help to understand to what extent the movement has been successful in effecting change. When working to gain such an understanding, a focus on the student population is essential, as their opinions provide insight into the future conditions of society and, thus, into whether the movement has been successful in effecting lasting social change. The present work focusses on the feminist movements and, in line with the above, analyses the perceptions held by a sample of 600 Spanish students enrolled in compulsory secondary, pre-university, and university education. The method employed begins with the use of association tests to extract lexical networks. Then, following a theoretical transformation, the traditional lexical availability index is applied in combination with fuzzy set theory to the sample of lists obtained so as to map the structure of the collective network, a novel approach that results in different levels of compatibility. The highest levels of compatibility reveal the prototypical conceptualisation as well as the sample’s shared cognitive perception. The results suggest that although the population under study may have absorbed the feminist movements’ messages of equality and respect, distorted perceptions could still remain in certain groups analysed. This work therefore recommends that education centres may wish to consider communicating objective information on the feminist movements specifically to women, as this could ultimately lead to all students fully embracing a feminist awareness distanced from extreme ideologies.

Academic Lexicon Development in an EMI Context: A Study of Pre-Service English Teachers' Lexical Availability

Academic Lexicon Development in an EMI Context: A Study of Pre-Service English Teachers' Lexical Availability

Lexical Availability and Foreign Language Teaching: Main Contributions of a Growing Field

Teaching vocabulary presents a significant challenge in foreign language instruction. This article discusses the advantages that the results obtained in studies on lexical availability offer for foreign language teaching. The methodology of lexical availability, which involves extracting vocabulary that is closely associated with specific lexical categories, was first developed in France in the 1950s, and since then, it has been predominantly used for teaching Spanish as a first language. More recently, in the past 15 years, it has also been employed for teaching Spanish as a foreign language. This article examines the origins and methodology of lexical availability, with a particular focus on two significant applications related to teaching Spanish as a foreign language. From a cognitive standpoint, the article discusses studies analysing the configuration of the mental lexicon using available vocabulary data. From a didactic perspective, the article explores how lexical availability can be used to improve the selection of vocabulary in teaching materials for Spanish as a foreign language.

Navigating the Mental Lexicon: Network Structures, Lexical Search and Lexical Retrieval

This paper examines the implications of the association patterns in our understanding of the mental lexicon. By applying the principles of graph theory to word association data, we intend to explore which measures tap better into lexical knowledge. To that end, we had different groups of English as Foreign language learners complete a lexical fluency task. Based on these empirical data, a study was undertaken on the corresponding lexical availability graph (LAG). It is observed that the aggregation (mentioned through human coding) of all lexical tokens on a given topic allows the emergence of some lexical-semantic patterns. The most important one is the existence of some key terms, featuring both high centrality in the sense of network theory and high availability in the LAG, which define a hub of related terms. These communities of words, each one organized around an anchor term, or most central word, are nicely apprehended by a well-known network metric called modularity. Interestingly enough, each module seems to describe a conceptual class, showing that the collective lexicon, at least as approximated by LA Graphs, is organised and traversed by semantic mechanisms or associations via hyponymy or hiperonymy, for instance. Another empirical observation is that these conceptual hubs can be appended, resulting in high diameters compared to same-sized random graphs; even so it seems that the small-world hypothesis holds in LA Graphs, as in other social and natural networks.

The Influence of Gamification on High School Students’ Motivation in Geometry Lessons

The primary aim of this study is to introduce a didactic programme that incorporates gamification in geometry classes for high school students. The purpose of this programme is to boost students’ motivation towards learning. In the present educational scenario, the role of information and communication technologies (ICT) is paramount. Gamification has the potential to enhance the learning process by integrating game elements into non-game environments. This approach is deemed necessary as emotional factors in teaching may not lead to meaningful learning and improved academic performance. The research methodology employed a mixed approach and a pre-experimental design with pre- and post-test measurements. The sample comprised 45 10th grade students from a subsidised private high school in the Biobío Region of Chile. The study took 10 months and evaluated the factors of motivation, academic achievement, and lexical availability. Results showed a 23% increment in students’ knowledge, as proven by pre- and post-tests. The findings suggest an improvement in students’ perception regarding geometry and a significant improvement in academic performance. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that there is a noteworthy correlation between the group’s overall motivation and their academic performance, supporting gamification as an effective pedagogical strategy.

The influence of the gender variable on chilean EFL primary students’ lexical availability

Lexical knowledge of language learners is a priority when thinking of teaching a second language successfully, and lexical availability tasks appear to be an effective tool for teachers to obtain evidence of vocabulary acquisition. This study seeks to determine the incidence of the variable gender on the L2 available lexicon of primary students. The research was conducted with a sample of 99 students, 52 males and 47 females from fifth grade of a subsidized school in San Pedro de la Paz, Chile. A quantitative methodology was used with a non-experimental design, where data was gathered through a lexical availability test with five centers of interest from a non-probability sample. Findings indicate that gender is a variable that does not affect the available lexicon of primary students. This research will serve as a base for future studies on different variables that can affect primary students’ lexical availability, in order to improve language teaching practices.

Conceptions of geography and history as school disciplines: an approach from lexical availability.

This paper aims to examine students' conceptions of Geography and History as school disciplines at different educational stages. The sample, composed by a total of 73 participants from Primary School (n = 26), Secondary School (n = 29) and Higher Education (n = 18), completed a lexical availability test in Spanish and English or in Spanish and French. The results show that lexical availability increases as the educational stage increases, although the differences are not significant between all of them. The available lexical items on Geography and History, most of which are not shared between the different stages, are very generalist, showing a rigid and formal view of the disciplines. After the analysis carried out, we consider that lexical availability may constitute a valid tool for accessing students' conceptions.

On experimental lexical production in Spanish as L1 and L2.

This study investigates lexical production in Spanish as L1 and L2 in an experimental context. Based on a series of lexical availability tasks, words produced by native and non-native speakers of Spanish are contrasted in relation to test modality, oral or written, and response time. The production of native speakers is characterized by being significantly higher and more accurate, while L2 responses reflect lower lexical competence, the influence of L1 and divergent acquisition patterns. Although previous studies had not found significant differences between the number of responses produced orally and in writing, we find that such differences exist, but that they are conditioned by the response time, which affects differently the production in L1 and in L2, although their evolution describes a similar trajectory in both cases. This methodological factor would also cause the neutralization of the qualitative differences between oral and written responses in both groups of participants.

El léxico de la pandemia: un estudio de disponibilidad léxica con estudiantes de la Universidad de Salamanca

The aim of this study is to determine to what extent the pandemic might have influenced lexical retrieval in relation to everyday centers of interest. In order to achieve this, five centers of interest have been selected from Panhispanic Project of Lexical Availability (PPHLD). Additionally, the new centers Pandemia and Coronavirus have been added in two separate experiments. Our data suggest that the pandemic might be connected to changes in the lexical availability and the position of certain terms on the lexical availability lists, as well as to the inclusion of new words.

Bilingual Science Lexicon of Pre-Serviced Primary School Teachers

Bilingual teaching has experienced rapid growth in the Spanish educational panorama and numerous university programmes have emerged with the aim of training future CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) teachers. However, there is little research assessing the level of linguistic competence in Spanish and foreign languages of future teachers, especially those who are studying for a bilingual degree. Although this work is part of a broader project that analyses bilingual lexical competence in subjects related to the Social Sciences and Experimental Sciences, we focus on the analysis of lexical availability of content related to the teaching of science. The sample consisted of 46 students of the Degree in Primary Education at the University of Extremadura. Using a lexical availability test, lexical production in Spanish and English is analysed and compared to determine whether the fact of studying in English affects the acquisition and consolidation of lexical knowledge in Spanish. The results show that there are no significant differences in lexical production between Spanish and English. In addition to the quantitative data, results from the qualitative analysis are presented, analysing the most available words and the organisation of the lexicon in both languages.

Word Retrieval After the 80s: Evidence From Specific and Multiple Words Naming Tasks

Older adults show a progressive cognitive decline, and although language processing appears to resist advancing age, studies in word retrieval report that elders show important difficulties. Previous research reports that such failures increase from age 70 years, which suggests that during the fourth age word retrieval would exhibit even stronger constraints. At the same time, extant evidence suggests that only retrieval of a specific word might decline in advanced aging, and not the recovery of multiple pieces associated with a given semantic category. However, those studies did not explicitly assess these phenomena in a group of older adults in their fourth age, and thus cannot be considered conclusive with regards to this particular group. In the present study, we examined word retrieval in three distinctive advanced age groups (60–69, 70–79, and 80+ years) in two production tasks: a picture naming task, and a lexical availability task. We compared the fourth-age group against the other two third-age group in their reaction time (RT) and accuracy as well as, on the lexical availability index (LAI) and total words retrieved in a lexical availability task. Fourth-age group exhibited longer RT in the picture naming task, yet a high level of accuracy. They also showed a reduced number of retrieved words, as well as, a reduced LAI, relative to the control groups. We discuss our results in the context of the decline of fluid intelligence, and the information transmission deficits hypothesis.

Theoretical Exploration of the Lexical Availability Task as a Tool for the Selection of Vocabulary to be Taught in Class

Theoretical Exploration of the Lexical Availability Task as a Tool for the Selection of Vocabulary to be Taught in Class

Desarrollo y validación de una tarea experimental de Memoria Episódica verbal en español

ABSTRACT Purpose To develop and validate an experimental verbal episodic memory task in Spanish. Methods Six encoding blocks were elaborated, three deep and three superficial, each one with different demands of cognitive effort. The blocks were reviewed by four expert judges and tested in a pilot application. The agreement was assessed on whether the task allowed combined processing level and cognitive effort to be manipulated during incidental encoding of words, as well as clarity of instructions, examples, and workflow. Results Variables such as lexical availability, metrics, and strength of association were useful to differentiate the cognitive effort between each block. The judges agreed that the processing blocks allowed a combined manipulation of the level of processing and cognitive effort and that the instructions are precise. After the pilot, the participants agreed that the instructions, examples, and way of working were easy to understand and perform. Conclusion The results provide evidence of validity related to the content for the proposed experimental task, thus becoming a viable alternative to consider in research aimed at identifying environmental factors that contribute to compensating the defects shown by episodic memory with age.

Development and validation of an experimental verbal Episodic Memory task in Spanish.

To develop and validate an experimental verbal episodic memory task in Spanish. Six encoding blocks were elaborated, three deep and three superficial, each one with different demands of cognitive effort. The blocks were reviewed by four expert judges and tested in a pilot application. The agreement was assessed on whether the task allowed combined processing level and cognitive effort to be manipulated during incidental encoding of words, as well as clarity of instructions, examples, and workflow. Variables such as lexical availability, metrics, and strength of association were useful to differentiate the cognitive effort between each block. The judges agreed that the processing blocks allowed a combined manipulation of the level of processing and cognitive effort and that the instructions are precise. After the pilot, the participants agreed that the instructions, examples, and way of working were easy to understand and perform. The results provide evidence of validity related to the content for the proposed experimental task, thus becoming a viable alternative to consider in research aimed at identifying environmental factors that contribute to compensating the defects shown by episodic memory with age.

Ferramentas virtuais na concepção de leitura de futuros professores: uma exploração lexical

Abstract New forms of reading have emerged recently, and virtual tools and environments have been developed to promote reading. Initial teacher training must be up to date to train good mediators. Therefore, this research analyses the presence of digital tools in the concept of reading of future teachers. The data has been collected through a lexical availability test to explore the centre of interest “Reading” and a sociodemographic questionnaire with questions related to reading and knowledge of languages. 520 students from the degrees in Early Childhood and Primary Education at the University of Malaga have participated. Dispogen has been used to process the available lexicon and the SPSS package has been used for the statistical analysis. In addition, clusters have been obtained from the lexicon related to digital tools using the DispoGrafo tool. The results show a motivation to read on social networks and a rootedness of the lexicon referred to digital media: e-book, Kindle, specifying format: PDF, Word, and type of reading: digital review, Academic Google, but they do not demonstrate a lexical domain for the formation of new readers.

Prototypical associations in the production of words in English as a foreign language by L2 learners

Abstract This ongoing study attempts to explore the role semantic prototypes play in response to the production of words of a semantic category by two groups of learners differing in age and language level. Our main objectives point to i) the identification of the number of words produced in English regarding semantic prototypes by the groups of informants; ii) the analysis and comparison of the similarities and the differences of the prototypical associations provided by learners of different ages and different language levels; iii) the evidence of the universality of prototypes through the convergences and/ or divergences collected in the sample. The data collection instruments considered for this ongoing study are a background questionnaire and a productive semantic categorization task. Findings yielded that (i) there is evidence of prototype responses, and they are exclusively associated with the basic level of categorization; (ii) children retrieved fewer prototypical and non-prototypical words than adolescents in a lexical availability test; (iii) convergences and divergences are shown in the words retrieved by the two groups differing in age and language level. This study aims to evolve the dynamics of prototypical associations in language, and their linguistic, social, and cultural implications in communication when learning a foreign language.

Linguistic Legos: a Description of Spanish Syntagmatic Compounds in Three Mexican Corpora of Lexical Availability Task

Syntagmatic compounds are a type of morphological compound that contributes to the increase of a learner’s vocabulary. They are created when two or more lexemes join to form a new word. Considering they could have wide pedagogic implications due to the multiple combination possibilities from a single base, this analysis intends to describe the frequency and classification of syntagmatic compounds as well as their bases in three Mexican corpora of Lexical Availability Task of students from different times, regions and education levels. It also aims to describe the relationship between bases and lexical items to examine whether a few of the bases are needed for many of syntagmatic compounds found in Spanish. Results showed that syntagmatic compound are quite available (from 10% to 31% of total lexical items). Within the classification of these compounds, the most common were the prepositional ones. It was also found that only 50 bases are needed to form more than a third of the compounds found in the lexical availability responses. A list of the top 20 bases is presented for its use among the teaching of Spanish as a second language. It is proposed that since studying a small quantity of words can enable learners to build a great number of compounds, they could be conceptualized as linguistic legos.