Sign iconicity helps learning new words for abstract concepts in a foreign language

IF 16.4 1区化学 Q1 CHEMISTRY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Accounts of Chemical Research Pub Date : 2022-06-06 DOI:10.1177/02676583221093841

Sara Rodríguez-Cuadrado, Fernando Ojedo, Francisco Vicente-Conesa, Carlos Romero-Rivas, Miguel Ángel Carlos Sampedro, Julio Santiago

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引用次数: 1

Abstract

Several studies have explored the use of iconic gestures to improve the learning of foreign vocabulary. In this quest, words for abstract concepts have been largely neglected, under the assumption that abstract concepts have poor or non-existent sensory-motor representations. Yet, the Conceptual Metaphor Theory suggests that they are grounded on concrete concepts. Moreover, analyses of signed languages reveal ways in which signs can exploit metonymies and conceptual metaphors to iconically refer to abstract concepts. Here, we explore whether iconic signs from Spanish Sign Language (LSE) can facilitate the learning of foreign words for abstract concepts in hearing participants who do not know any sign language. In two studies, participants were presented with new labels for abstract and concrete concepts in an artificial language (Vimmi). The labels could be accompanied by either a video of an iconic or non-iconic sign taken from the existing vocabulary of LSE, or a static image of the signer. In study 1, participants did not have to enact the signs they were presented with, while in study 2 they did. Both studies showed that iconic signs facilitated the learning of abstract foreign vocabulary, regardless of enactment. The strategies that sign languages use to develop iconic signs for abstract concepts make those signs useful to assist the learning of foreign words by hearing non-signers.

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符号象似性有助于学习外语中抽象概念的新单词

一些研究探索了使用标志性手势来提高外语词汇的学习。在这一探索中，抽象概念的词汇在很大程度上被忽视了，因为抽象概念的感觉-运动表征很差或根本不存在。然而，概念隐喻理论认为它们是以具体概念为基础的。此外，对手语的分析揭示了符号如何利用转喻和概念隐喻来象征性地指称抽象概念。在此，我们探讨了西班牙手语(LSE)中的标志性符号是否能促进不懂任何手语的听力参与者学习抽象概念的外来词。在两项研究中，研究人员用人工语言(Vimmi)向参与者展示了抽象和具体概念的新标签。标签可以附有一个视频的标志性或非标志性的标志取自伦敦经济学院现有的词汇，或一个静态的图像的签名者。在研究1中，参与者不需要做出他们看到的手势，而在研究2中，他们需要这样做。两项研究都表明，无论是否颁布，标志性符号都有助于抽象外语词汇的学习。手语用来发展抽象概念的标志性符号的策略，使这些符号有助于通过听非手语来帮助学习外来词。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Accounts of Chemical Research 化学-化学综合

CiteScore

31.40

自引率

1.10%

发文量

312

审稿时长

2 months

期刊介绍： Accounts of Chemical Research presents short, concise and critical articles offering easy-to-read overviews of basic research and applications in all areas of chemistry and biochemistry. These short reviews focus on research from the author’s own laboratory and are designed to teach the reader about a research project. In addition, Accounts of Chemical Research publishes commentaries that give an informed opinion on a current research problem. Special Issues online are devoted to a single topic of unusual activity and significance. Accounts of Chemical Research replaces the traditional article abstract with an article "Conspectus." These entries synopsize the research affording the reader a closer look at the content and significance of an article. Through this provision of a more detailed description of the article contents, the Conspectus enhances the article's discoverability by search engines and the exposure for the research.