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The Role of Verb Semantic Representation in Sentence Processing in Children with SLI

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Language Development and Disorders in Spanish-speaking Children

Part of the book series: Literacy Studies ((LITS,volume 14))

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Abstract

Background and rationale. Different lexical processing theories assume that the recognition of a word leads to the automatic activation of a range of syntactic and semantic knowledge that are relevant to the interpretation of language. In this respect, the verb is a key word in language processing and in verbal representation. The activation of a verb includes various types of information (subcategorization frame, argument structure, information on thematic roles and lexical-conceptual information), which are activated in real time when a verb is retrieved in processes of comprehension and language production. In specific terms, this information plays an important role in the anticipation of information in processes of understanding and in the degree of correction in production tasks.

This chapter reviews various studies exploring the role of verb semantics and argument structure in language comprehension and production tasks. We studied if there are differences between receptive and expressive in children with SLI using different methodologies. Moreover, we analyzed if verb semantics is impaired in children with SLI and if we can found that the problems are due to impoverished verb semantic representations or limitations in language processing.

Results and Discussion. The amount of information represented in verbs, and their use in language comprehension and production tasks was analyzed in various studies. Children with SLI showed more difficulties in language production than in language comprehension. In receptive language, although the results vary depending on the task, it can be said that children with SLI have incomplete semantic representations for verbs which affect processing times, correct naming and the omission of arguments. Furthermore, the results show that lexical-semantic representations by children with SLI are similar to those among younger children, and as such it would be more accurate to describe it in terms of a pattern of delay rather than a disorder.

Results show that children with SLI present longer processing times, lower levels of correction in naming and larger percentages of omission of verbal arguments compared to the control children. These results suggest that children with SLI have incomplete semantic representations of verbs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain

    Llorenç Andreu

  2. Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Mònica Sanz-Torrent

Authors
  1. Llorenç Andreu
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  2. Mònica Sanz-Torrent
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Correspondence to Llorenç Andreu .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hospital General “Dr. Manuel Gea González”, Mexico City, Mexico

    Alejandra Auza Benavides

  2. Program in Speech and Hearing, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, New York, USA

    Richard G. Schwartz

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Andreu, L., Sanz-Torrent, M. (2017). The Role of Verb Semantic Representation in Sentence Processing in Children with SLI. In: Auza Benavides, A., Schwartz, R. (eds) Language Development and Disorders in Spanish-speaking Children. Literacy Studies, vol 14. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53646-0_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53646-0_11

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-53646-0

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