Verb Learning Research Articles

The acquisition of Russian motion verbs by Italian-speaking students in light of new linguodidactic concepts

The research presented in the article aims to identify linguodidactic principles that would help to shape the forma mentis of Italian-speaking students studying the Russian language, and assist them in the process of learning and acquiring motion verbs while avoiding errors due to interference between L1 (Italian) and FL (Russian) in encoding deictic information. The study raises several important questions: Why do students make mistakes in using motion verbs despite their high level of proficiency in Russian? What innovative approaches can facilitate the learning of Russian motion verbs?

How Infants Link Nonce Phrases to Scenes With Objects and Predicates.

When infants hear sentences containing unfamiliar words, are some language-world links (such as noun-object) more readily formed than others (verb-predicate)? We examined English learning 14-15-month-olds' capacity for linking referents in scenes with bisyllabic nonce utterances. Each of the two syllables referred either to the object's identity, or the object's motion. Infants heard the syllables in either a Verb-Subject (VS) or Subject-Verb (SV) order. Learning was tested using preferential looking. The results showed that infants learned the nouns and verbs equally well. In addition, in both the VS- and SV-consistent conditions, infants learned the meaning of the utterance-final syllable, but not the utterance-initial one. A follow-up experiment that manipulated the prosodic cues of the test phrases confirmed that infants had decomposed the bisyllabic phrases into two distinct word-units. Thus, any biases potentially favoring noun or verb learning played a smaller role than utterance position did when noun and verb learning were equally supported by context.

Complex meanings shape early noun and verb vocabulary structure and learning.

Verbs and nouns vary in many ways-including in how they are used in language and in the timing of their early learning. We compare the distribution of semantic features that comprise early acquired verb and noun meanings and measure their effect on learning. First, couched in prior literature, we use semantic feature data to establish that features pattern on a hierarchy of complexity, with perceptual features being less complex than other features like encyclopaedic features. Second, given overall semantic and syntactic differences between nouns and verbs, we hypothesize that the preference for directly perceptible features observed for nouns will be attenuated for verbs. Building on prior work using semantic features and semantic networks in nouns, we find that compared to early learned nouns (N = 359), early learned verbs (N = 103) have meanings disproportionately built from complex information inaccessible to the senses. Third, we find that 16- to 30-month-old children's early noun and verb vocabularies (N = 3,804) show semantic relationships that differ in their use of this complex information from the beginning of vocabulary development. Last, we find that the complexity of nouns' and verbs' meanings affects their typical order of learning in early vocabulary development. Complexity differs in early noun and verb meanings, affects the semantic structure of children's vocabularies, and shapes the course of word learning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring crosslinguistic influence on learning particles in phrasal verbs through a cognitive linguistic approach

Abstract It is now well established that English phrasal verbs cause English as foreign language learners no small degree of confusion due to the semantic complexity. However, the influence of crosslinguistic transfer on learning phrasal verbs has remained unclear. There even has been little qualitative analysis of the crosslinguistic difference between literal and metaphorical meanings of particles. This paper proposes an instructional approach underpinned by metaphor and categorization in cognitive linguistics and highlights particles as a means of disentangling polysemous verb-particle constructions. Fifteen students from four universities in Taipei City and City of Newcastle upon Tyne participated in the study. Results of the qualitative data, i.e., discussion tasks, in-session tasks, and interviews, suggested that despite the difficulty of understanding some target items, the crosslinguistic similarities and differences generally aid the learning of the phrasal verbs via the proposed approach. Raising an awareness of crosslinguistic difference between metaphorical meanings of particles can be pedagogically useful.

Learning Verbs in Sentences: Children With Developmental Language Disorder and the Role of Retrieval Practice.

Retrieval practice has been shown to assist the word learning of children with developmental language disorder (DLD). Although this has been true for learning new verbs as well as new nouns and adjectives, these children's overall verb learning has remained quite low. In this preregistered study, we presented novel verbs in transitive sentences with varying subjects/agents and objects/patients to determine if recall could be improved and if retrieval practice continued to be facilitative. Fourteen children with DLD aged 4-5 years and 13 same-age peers with typical language development (TD) learned eight novel verbs over two sessions. Half of the novel verbs were presented with spacing between study and retrieval trials, and half were presented with the same frequency in study trials without the opportunity for retrieval. All novel verbs were presented in sentences such as, "The woman is deeking the shoe." Children's ability to recall and use the novel verbs in the same sentence structure was tested after the second session and 1 week later. The children were also required to use the novel verbs in bare-stem form in a new structure, as in, "That woman likes to deek the towel." Both groups of children showed increased recall relative to a previous novel verb study. The children with TD showed the expected advantages of spaced retrieval over repeated study and could use the novel verbs in the new morphological form and sentence structure. The children with DLD, however, showed an advantage for spaced retrieval only shortly after the learning period. These children had great difficulty changing the novel verbs to a bare stem and using them in a new structure. Although spaced retrieval assists children's novel verb recall, children with DLD in particular require additional help using these verbs with morphological and syntactic flexibility.

Can 3-year-old children learn verbs using an educational touchscreen app?

IntroductionResearch demonstrates that children can learn nouns using touchscreen apps, however there has been less attention to whether apps can also promote verb learning. In addition, only a few studies have investigated the role of adult-child co-use for facilitating language learning from touchscreen apps.MethodIn the present study, 3-year-old children were taught three novel verbs in a live condition or with an app. Children in the app condition either used the app in a child-led interaction or an adult-led interaction. Children's verb learning was assessed using a three-choice pointing task.Results and discussionOnly children in the live condition showed evidence of verb learning and performed above chance, and there were no differences in performance by children in the app conditions. Children therefore did not show evidence of verb learning from our experimental app. Further research therefore needs to investigate different strategies for adult-child co-use and the role of different app features for supporting children's verb learning from apps.

Navigating the Linguistic Labyrinth: Challenges of Using Phrasal Verbs for L2 Learners

The acquisition and usage of phrasal verbs present significant challenges for second language (L2) learners due to their complex and idiomatic nature. This paper explores these difficulties through a multifaceted analysis of the linguistic and cognitive obstacles that phrasal verbs pose to learners. The study examines the study's participants, which can lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations. The paper delves into the learners’ competence levels and other issues affecting their ability to grasp phrasal verbs, which often affects their competence and performance in this area of English grammar. The paper also discusses the pedagogical approaches that have helped to facilitate the learners’ learning of phrasal verbs, such as contextual learning, teachers’ ability, corpora, and technology-based tools. The research findings underscore the importance of innovative teaching strategies and continuous practice for L2 learners to effectively navigate the linguistic labyrinth of phrasal verbs. By identifying key challenges and potential solutions, this paper contributes valuable insights into the complexities of language acquisition and offers practical recommendations for educators and learners alike. Ultimately, it aims to enhance our understanding of the intricate relationship between language, culture, and cognition in the context of L2 learning.

Usage-based approaches to assessing syntactic sophistication in second language writing: Interaction of genre and proficiency

Based on usage-based approaches to language learning, this study investigated how second language (L2) writers use verbs and argument structure constructions across different genres, while also exploring how this genre effect interacts with L2 writing proficiency. We analyzed five previously established usage-based indices using a learner corpus comprising argumentative and narrative essays elicited from 3196 college-level learners. Through a series of mixed-effects regression analyses, we identified a consistent genre effect, with argumentative essays featuring a more sophisticated use of verbs and constructions alongside a greater diversity in construction types. Additionally, a significant interaction emerged between genre and proficiency regarding construction frequency and the frequency of verb–construction combinations. These results indicate that while the previously observed genre effect extends to the L2 use of verbs and constructions, its manifestation varies depending on L2 proficiency. Overall, our study supports the usage-based learning of verbs and constructions in the context of L2 writing.

Expression of Disappointment Emotions in 1-3 Year Old Children in Psycholinguistic Studies

This study uses a psycholinguistic approach to examine how children aged between one and three years old show disappointment. The study aims to find, examine and characterize the words or phrases used by children to express disappointment. The approach used is a descriptive qualitative analysis based on phonological and syntactic theories of child language acquisition. Naturally, conversational data were collected by documenting the events that made children feel disappointed. The findings of the analysis showed that children often used nonverbal cues such as roaring, shouting, and crying along with explanations to convey their dissatisfaction. Children aged 1 year and 4 months have only learned verbs and nouns at the syntactic level. Two-year-olds can say two words classified as verbs, nouns, pronomina and negative phrases. Children between two and nine years old can say two nouns, verbs, adjectives, or adverbs.

The Neural Correlates of Embodied L2 Learning: Does Embodied L2 Verb Learning Affect Representation and Retention?

We investigated how naturalistic actions in a highly immersive, multimodal, interactive 3D virtual reality (VR) environment may enhance word encoding by recording EEG in a pre/post-test learning paradigm. While behavior data have shown that coupling word encoding with gestures congruent with word meaning enhances learning, the neural underpinnings of this effect have yet to be elucidated. We coupled EEG recording with VR to examine whether embodied learning improves learning and creates linguistic representations that produce greater motor resonance. Participants learned action verbs in an L2 in two different conditions: specific action (observing and performing congruent actions on virtual objects) and pointing (observing actions and pointing to virtual objects). Pre- and post-training participants performed a match-mismatch task as we measured EEG (variation in the N400 response as a function of match between observed actions and auditory verbs) and a passive listening task while we measured motor activation (mu [8-13 Hz] and beta band [13-30 Hz] desynchronization during auditory verb processing) during verb processing. Contrary to our expectations, post-training results revealed neither semantic nor motor effects in either group when considered independently of learning success. Behavioral results showed a great deal of variability in learning success. When considering performance, low performance learners showed no semantic effect and high performance learners exhibited an N400 effect for mismatch versus match trials post-training, independent of the type of learning. Taken as a whole, our results suggest that embodied processes can play an important role in L2 learning.

Effects of GIF-Based Instruction on Korean High School Students’ English Phrasal Verb Learning

Effects of GIF-Based Instruction on Korean High School Students’ English Phrasal Verb Learning

LINGVO-DIDACTIC FEACHES OF STUDYING VERBS OF MOTION IN FOREIGN MEDICAL STUDENTS’ CLASS

One of the important part of the process of studying the Ukrainian language by non-native speakers is the learning the lexical-semantic group of verbs of motion. The article deals with the main methodical principles and techniques that ensure the assimilation of information about verbs of motion in the course of the discipline «Ukrainian as a foreign language» at the theoretical and practical levels, contribute to mastering the skills to use the verbs of motion by English speaking students in their oral and written communication on their own. The article is devoted to presentation of the methodology for learning verbs of movement the the foreign medical students. The methodology was developed and tested by the teachers of the Department of Ukrainian Studies of Vinnytsya National Pirogov Memorial Medical University and presented in the national textbook «Ukrainian language as a foreign language for English-speaking medical students. Book 1. Sociocultural communication». The aim of the article is to analyze the proposed didactic solutions, presented semantic information, grammatical constructions, educational tables, types of tasks and their content in accordance with the communicative needs of English-speaking students who are starting to learn Ukrainian as a foreign language. In addition to the theoretical substantiation of the research topic, the article presents practical recommendations, a system of exercises for learning verbs of motion in a foreign-language audience at different levels of Ukrainian language proficiency. The method proposed in scientific research is the result of long-term practical work on teaching the Ukrainian language as a foreign language, it is based on a functional-communicative approach that promotes conscious mastery of the language. It is aimed at helping non-native speakers to overcome the difficulties of understanding the lexical-semantic diversity of verbs of motion in the Ukrainian language, their grammatical categories, to gain clear and structured knowledge of a complex and multifaceted topic. The key to a successful result is gradual teaching based on previously studied material, using educational schemes, grammatical constructions, tables, etc. Key words: verbs of motion, Ukrainian language as a foreign language, linguistic didactics, methodology of teaching Ukrainian language as a foreign language.

Neural mechanisms underlying improved new-word learning with high-density transcranial direct current stimulation

Neurobehavioral studies have provided evidence for the effectiveness of anodal tDCS on language production, by stimulation of the left Inferior Frontal Gyrus (IFG) or of left Temporo-Parietal Junction (TPJ). However, tDCS is currently not used in clinical practice outside of trials, because behavioral effects have been inconsistent and underlying neural effects unclear. Here, we propose to elucidate the neural correlates of verb and noun learning and to determine if they can be modulated with anodal high-definition (HD) tDCS stimulation. Thirty-six neurotypical participants were randomly allocated to anodal HD-tDCS over either the left IFG, the left TPJ, or sham stimulation. On day one, participants performed a naming task (pre-test). On day two, participants underwent a new-word learning task with rare nouns and verbs concurrently to HD-tDCS for 20 min. The third day consisted of a post-test of naming performance. EEG was recorded at rest and during naming on each day. Verb learning was significantly facilitated by left IFG stimulation. HD-tDCS over the left IFG enhanced functional connectivity between the left IFG and TPJ and this correlated with improved learning. HD-tDCS over the left TPJ enabled stronger local activation of the stimulated area (as indexed by greater alpha and beta-band power decrease) during naming, but this did not translate into better learning. Thus, tDCS can induce local activation or modulation of network interactions. Only the enhancement of network interactions, but not the increase in local activation, leads to robust improvement of word learning. This emphasizes the need to develop new neuromodulation methods influencing network interactions. Our study suggests that this may be achieved through behavioral activation of one area and concomitant activation of another area with HD-tDCS.

The Translational Force of Words: The Journey of “Come” and “Go” into Arabic

This study delves into the translational challenges Arabic translators face in preserving the dynamism and multifaceted meanings of ‘come’ and ‘go’ phrasal verbs during translation using machine tools. Though existing literature has focused on linguistic and cultural equivalence, the ‘translational force’ of specific words is still under-researched. The aim of this study is to verify the accuracy of the output across tools, and to conclude how effective these applications were in the given language pair. The study adopts a mixed methods approach with a survey used to identify the most frequently used machine tools for translation by 27 learners of Translation Studies at Shaqra University, Saudi Arabia. Thereafter, a set of frequently used phrasal verbs in English that use the root verbs ‘come’ and ‘go’ were translated by a convenience sample of 27 final year students of translation as well as by using the popular and free translation tools in the English-Arabic language pair. Results indicated that Saudi students enrolled in translation studies used MateCAT, Google Translate, Reverso to a limited extent, but relied more on online dictionaries for translation to and from English. In addition to this, translation of English phrasal verbs was found to be most accurate in MateCat and there too, accuracy in back translation was found to be more accurate in the case of the phrasal verbs formed with ‘come’ at the root than with ‘go’ verb. Finally, it was found that the translation students preferred ‘soft tools’ like English movies for learning, recall, and use of English phrasal verbs in practice. This study is expected to provide a deeper understanding of the concept of "translational force" and its implications for translating dynamic words in the English-Arabic language pair in the realm of machine-based translation tools.

Comparing the effectiveness of verb-focused and particle-focused exercise formats on the recall and recognition of phrasal verbs

Phrasal verbs are important for successful communication and yet are incredibly challenging for language learners. The current study compared two exercise formats for the learning of phrasal verbs. One format draws attention to the verb, while the other brings into focus the particle. In the verb-focused format, students were asked to guess the missing verb before receiving feedback. In the particle-focused format, they were told to guess the missing particle before feedback was presented. The results of a cued-recall test showed that the recall of phrasal verbs was enhanced more effectively in the particle-focused format than in the verb-focused format, although this advantage diminished after one week. A multiple-choice test revealed no significant difference between the two methods in terms of their impact on the recognition of phrasal verbs. The current study also aimed to test the prediction of the episodic recollection hypothesis, which specifies that memory of the initial guess plays a critical role in the subsequent recall of the correct answer. It was also found that asking students to recall their initial guess moderated their performance in the posttest. Overall, the findings of the current study suggest that the particle-focused format boosts the memory of phrasal verbs and that to minimize the adverse effects of proactive interference, it is vital for students to remember their errors. This means that teachers would be advised to focus on exercises that provide the verb and encourage guessing of the particle.

Teaching Phrasal Verbs in EFL Classes with HIIT Method

This article explores the effectiveness of integrating the High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) method into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes for teaching phrasal verbs. The study investigates the impact of the HIIT approach on students' acquisition and usage of phrasal verbs, employing a mixedmethods research design. The findings indicate that the HIIT method enhances phrasal verb learning, leading to improved understanding, retention, and application of these challenging language components. The article concludes with implications for EFL educators seeking innovative approaches to enhance phrasal verb instruction.

언어장애 아동을 위한 가상현실 기반 동사 학습 프로그램의 개발 및 적용 가능성 탐색

언어장애 아동을 위한 가상현실 기반 동사 학습 프로그램의 개발 및 적용 가능성 탐색

The effect of lexicalization biases on cross-situational statistical learning of novel verbs

Abstract Languages vary in the mapping of relational terms onto events. For instance, English motion descriptions favor manner (how something moves) verbs over path (where something move) verbs, whereas those of other languages, like Spanish, show the opposite pattern. While these lexicalization biases are malleable, adopting a novel lexicalization pattern can be slow for second language learners. One potential mechanism for learning non-native verb mappings is cross-situational statistical learning (CSSL). However, the application of CSSL to verbs is limited and does not explicitly examine how lexicalization biases may complicate adults’ ability to resolve the referential uncertainty of multiple referents. We ask English-speaking monolingual adults to learn the mappings of ten verbs via CSSL. Verbs mapped onto either manner or path of motion, with the other event component held constant. Adults in both conditions demonstrated successful learning of novel verbs, with adults learning the manner verbs showing more consistent performance across accepting correct referents and rejecting incorrect ones. Our results are the first to demonstrate adults’ use of CSSL to acquire verb meanings that both align with and cut against native lexicalization biases and suggest a limited influence of lexicalization biases on adults’ learning in idealized CSSL conditions.

Varying Syntax to Enhance Verb-Focused Intervention for 30-Month-Olds With Language Delay: A Concurrent Multiple Baseline Design.

The purpose of this study is to determine if 2.5-year-olds with language delay would learn verbs (spill) when presented with varying syntactic structure ("The woman is spilling the milk"/"The milk is spilling"; milk = patient or theme) in a therapeutic context. Children with language delay have proportionally small inventories of verbs, which limits expressive language development. Children who have typical language development learn verbs more robustly when presented with alternating arguments than with a single argument structure. Three toddlers with expressive language delay (29-30 months of age) participated in a verb-focused treatment study using a concurrent multiple baseline design. Participants were shown action videos accompanied by sentences with varied argument structure for each target verb. To assess learning pre- and posttreatment, participants were asked to demonstrate actions corresponding to each verb. Visual inspection and tau analyses reveal significant posttreatment gains of target verbs taught with varying argument structures. Our results indicate that learning verbs with high variability of argument roles may facilitate a strong link between lexical representations of verbs and their syntactic structures. Using argument structure variability to teach verbs as an intervention strategy has great potential and should be tested further in larger group studies.

Gestures as Scaffolding to Learn Vocabulary in a Foreign Language.

This paper investigates the influence of gestures on foreign language (FL) vocabulary learning. In this work, we first address the state of the art in the field and then delve into the research conducted in our lab (three experiments already published) in order to finally offer a unified theoretical interpretation of the role of gestures in FL vocabulary learning. In Experiments 1 and 2, we examined the impact of gestures on noun and verb learning. The results revealed that participants exhibited better learning outcomes when FL words were accompanied by congruent gestures compared to those from the no-gesture condition. Conversely, when meaningless or incongruent gestures were presented alongside new FL words, gestures had a detrimental effect on the learning process. Secondly, we addressed the question of whether or not individuals need to physically perform the gestures themselves to observe the effects of gestures on vocabulary learning (Experiment 3). Results indicated that congruent gestures improved FL word recall when learners only observed the instructor's gestures ("see" group) and when they mimicked them ("do" group). Importantly, the adverse effect associated with incongruent gestures was reduced in the "do" compared to that in the "see" experimental group. These findings suggest that iconic gestures can serve as an effective tool for learning vocabulary in an FL, particularly when the gestures align with the meaning of the words. Furthermore, the active performance of gestures helps counteract the negative effects associated with inconsistencies between gestures and word meanings. Consequently, if a choice must be made, an FL learning strategy in which learners acquire words while making gestures congruent with their meaning would be highly desirable.