Language development is a fascinating journey that begins in early childhood and continues through adolescence. One of the key aspects of this development is understanding verbs, particularly those related to emotions and motor actions. Recent research titled "Age-Dependent Changes of Thinking about Verbs" offers valuable insights into how children and adolescents process these types of verbs. This blog post aims to help practitioners improve their skills by implementing research outcomes or encouraging further exploration into this area.
The Research at a Glance
The study conducted by Bonivento et al. (2017) explored how children and adolescents from three age groups (8–11, 12–15, and 16–19 years) understand emotional and motor-related verbs. Participants were asked to evaluate verbs based on various criteria such as familiarity, age of acquisition (AoA), valence, arousal, imageability, and motor- or emotion-relatedness.
Key findings include:
- Younger children (8–11) attributed emotional characteristics to verbs less frequently than older groups.
- Males in the youngest group rated verbs as emotion-related less often than females.
- Age of acquisition develops late; older participants reported learning verbs earlier than younger ones estimated.
- Arousal levels were consistent across ages but varied with motor and emotion-relatedness.
- Younger children found verbs easier to imagine compared to older participants.
Implications for Practitioners
Understanding these developmental changes can greatly enhance the strategies used by educators and therapists working with children and adolescents. Here are some ways practitioners can apply these findings:
1. Tailor Language Interventions
Recognize that younger children may not fully grasp the emotional nuances of verbs. Tailor interventions to gradually introduce complex emotional concepts as children mature. This gradual approach can help build a strong foundation for emotional literacy.
2. Gender-Sensitive Approaches
The research highlights gender differences in how young children perceive emotion-related verbs. Practitioners should consider these differences when designing activities or interventions, ensuring that both boys and girls are equally engaged in developing emotional understanding.
3. Encourage Imagery in Learning
Younger children find it easier to imagine actions described by verbs. Use this to your advantage by incorporating imagery-based activities that stimulate imagination and enhance understanding of both motor and emotional concepts.
Encouraging Further Research
This study opens the door to numerous questions about language development and its implications for educational practices. Practitioners are encouraged to delve deeper into this topic through further research or collaboration with researchers in the field. Understanding how different factors such as cultural context or individual differences impact verb processing could provide even more tailored strategies for language development interventions.
Conclusion
The journey of understanding verbs is complex and influenced by various factors including age, gender, and cognitive development. By integrating research findings into practice, educators and therapists can better support children's language development journeys. For those interested in exploring this topic further, reading the original research paper "Age-Dependent Changes of Thinking about Verbs" is highly recommended.
