Auditory stimuli that are relevant to a listener have the potential to capture focal attention even when unattended, the listener's own name being a particularly effective stimulus. We report two experiments to test the attention-capturing potential of the listener's own name in normal speech and time-compressed speech. In Experiment 1, 39…

Background and aims: Current evidence shows that children with developmental language disorder (DLD) benefit from spaced retrieval during word learning activities. Word recall is quite good relative to recall with alternative word learning procedures. However, recall on an absolute basis can be improved further; many studies report that fewer than…

The purpose of this study was to compare three intervention conditions in virtual rapid word learning instruction for young children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH): traditional, general physical activity, and semantic richness physical activity. We focused on an initial step in learning a new word: mapping a word form to a referent.…

Purpose: This study examined how mothers' question-asking behavior relates to their child's syntactic skills. One important aspect of maternal question-asking behavior is the use of complex questions when speaking with children. These questions can differ based on both their purpose and structure. The purpose may be to seek out information, to…

This study investigates how neural networks address the properties of children's linguistic knowledge, with a focus on the "Agent-First" strategy in comprehension of an active transitive construction in Korean. We develop various neural-network models and measure their classification performance on the test stimuli used in a behavioural…

We introduce a novel method to test a classic idea in developmental science that children's attention to a stimulus is driven by how much they can learn from it. Preschoolers (4-6 years, M=4.6) watched a video where a distracting animation accompanied static, page-by-page illustrations of a storybook. The audio narration for each storybook page…

Background: Reading comprehension is an interactive process. Yet, instructional needs are usually identified with isolated componential tests. This study examined whether a dynamic approach, in which componential abilities are measured within the same text and global text comprehension is facilitated via feedback, can help in understanding…

Previous studies showed that word learning is affected by children's existing knowledge. For instance, knowledge of semantic category aids word learning, whereas a dense phonological neighbourhood impedes learning of similar-sounding words. Here, we examined to what extent children associate similar-sounding words (e.g., rat and cat) with objects…

Background: Leaderboards are a highly popular gamification component used in student learning to enhance motivation, attentional engagement, and learning performance. However, few studies have examined the effects of individual leaderboard elements on English vocabulary learning through video lectures. Objectives: The present study aimed to…

Programs that engage young children in movement and song to help them learn are popular but experimental evidence on their impact is sparse. We use an RCT to evaluate the effectiveness of Big Word Club (BWC), a classroom program that uses music and dance videos for 3-5 minutes per day to increase vocabulary. We conducted a field experiment with…

Purpose: This study examined learning via perception, learning via production, and semantic depth as contributors to word learning in preschool-aged children. There is broad evidence that semantic depth is an important contributor to word learning, especially when semantic cues are repeated and spaced out over time. Perceptual learning and…

Conventional metaphors are a fundamental component of everyday communication, yet they are often overlooked in post-secondary German-language programs. This study examines the extent to which vocabulary breadth influences 19 L2 German learners' comprehension of conventional German metaphors, particularly those that exhibit cross-linguistic…

As classrooms become more and more linguistically and culturally diverse, educators seek to make learning more accessible and relevant for their multilingual students. One way that educators have done this is to incorporate translanguaging into their instruction, including in STEM classrooms and organizations that work with schools to provide STEM…

Qiqiao songs, originating from the Qiqiao Festival, celebrate the annual meeting of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl and serve as vessels of cultural storytelling, rich in linguistic structures and moral teachings. The objective of this research is to explore the educational potential of Chinese Qiqiao songs as tools for literacy, with a specific…

This study investigated the acquisition of early expressive vocabulary among young children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH; n = 68) using auditory technology (hearing aids and cochlear implants). Parents completed a standardized vocabulary checklist, which allowed analyses of (i) the size of their child's spoken vocabulary; (ii) composition…