Predictors of word learning in children with specific language impairment

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this research was to identify children's semantic access on priming tasks and executive control on interference tasks, and the best predictor of vocabulary size and word learning in children with specific language impairment (SLI). Methods: The study included children between 6 to 9 years of age, 18 children with SLI and 18 children with normal language (NL). Tasks were the Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test (REVT-R) which examines acquired vocabulary knowledge, quick incidental learning (QUIL) which assesses word learning capability, and semantic priming and interference tasks which tap the ability to bridge acquired vocabulary knowledge and word learning capability. Results: The results were as follows: the SLI group showed low performance on all tasks compared to NL group; the SLI group did not show any bridging task predicting REVT-R, whereas in the NL group, the accuracy of the semantic priming task predicted REVT-R. Additionally, the speed of the semantic priming task was the best predictor of the QUIL in the SLI group, but the speed of the interference task was the best predictor of QUIL in the NL group. Conclusion: The results indicated that the predictor of word learning skill and the speed of the semantic priming and interference tasks can be used for the SLI and NL groups, respectively. Thus, semantic priming effect on related target words and inhibiting ability for unrelated target words may significantly contribute to word learning. © 2015 Korean Academy of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.