Auditory word recognition of nouns and verbs in children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI)

Nouns are fundamentally different from verbs semantically and syntactically, since verbs can specify one, two, or three nominal arguments. In this study, 25 children with Specific Language Impairment (age 5;3–8;2 years) and 50 typically developing children (3;3–8;2 years) participated in an eye-tracking experiment of spoken language comprehension to compare the dynamics of spoken word recognition for nouns and verbs in Spanish. Listeners’ eye movements were recorded as they searched an array of pictures in response to hearing a noun or verb. Results showed significant an animacy effect before the word was finished as images that contain more animate entities attracted their looks which suggest an underdevelopment suppression mechanisms inhibition. Moreover, after word finished all the groups showed differences between nouns and verbs. They were faster in recognizing nouns than verbs and one-argument were recognized faster than two- and three-verb arguments whereas. Children with SLI were slower that their controls and especially in the recognition of three-argument verbs. We suggest that this was due to an incomplete argument structure representation that affects processing times.Learning outcomes: (1) As a result of this activity, the participant will be able to describe the differences between adults and children with and without SLI in spoken word recognition of nouns and verbs. (2) As a result of this activity, the participant will be able to describe the animacy effect.

► The auditory word recognition of nouns and verbs with different argument structure is analyzed.
► We used an eye-tracking experiment with children with typical language development and children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI).
► We found a significant animacy effect before the word was finished.
► After word all the groups were faster in recognizing nouns than verbs.
► Children with SLI were slower that their controls and especially in the recognition of three-argument verbs.
► We suggest that this was due to an incomplete argument structure representation.