The core vocabulary of South African Afrikaans-speaking Grade R learners without disabilities

Is there a 'universal' core? Using semantic primes to select vocabulary across languages in AAC

Core vocabulary lists and vocabulary inventories vary according to language. Lists from one language cannot and should not be assumed to be translatable, as words represent language-specific concepts and grammar. In this manuscript, we (a) present the results of a vocabulary overlap analysis between different published core vocabulary lists in English, Korean, Spanish, and Sepedi; (b) discuss the concept of universal semantic primes as a set of universal concepts that are posited to be language-independent; and (c) provide a list of common words shared across all four languages as exemplars of their semantic primes. The resulting common core words and their corresponding semantic primes can assist families and professionals in thinking about the initial steps in the development of AAC systems for their bilingual/multilingual clients.

Frequency of word usage by Hebrew preschoolers: implications for AAC core vocabulary

This study's goal was to inform the selection of the most frequently used words to serve as a reference for core vocabulary selection for Hebrew-speaking children who require AAC. The paper describes the vocabulary used by 12 Hebrew-speaking preschool children with typical development in two different conditions: peer talk, and peer talk with adult mediation. Language samples were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the CHILDES (Child Language Data Exchange System) tools to identify the most frequently used words. The top 200 lexemes (all variations of a single word) in the peer talk and adult-mediated peer talk conditions accounted for 87.15% (n = 5008 tokens) and 86.4% (n = 5331 tokens) of the total tokens produced in each language sample (n = 5746, n = 6168), respectively. A substantially overlapping vocabulary of 337 lexemes accounted for up to 87% (n = 10411) of the tokens produced in the composite list (n = 11914). The results indicate that a relatively small set of words represent a large proportion of the words used by the preschoolers across two different conditions. General versus language-specific implications for core vocabulary selection for children in need of AAC devices are discussed.

Core vocabulary for AAC practice from Mandarin Chinese-speaking Taiwanese without disabilities

The purpose of this study was to select a core vocabulary list obtained from Mandarin Chinese-speaking Taiwanese persons without disabilities. Mandarin Chinese is dominant and official language of Taiwan. A total of 28 participants, equally divided among seven age groups, were recruited for the study. In all, 112 samples across different communication contexts were collected. Results indicated that 100 core words selected had coverage of 66.7% of the entire composite sample. The proportion of function words versus content words in the top 100 core words was 11% and 89%, respectively. The core vocabulary was categorized into eight parts of speech, including nouns, pronouns, numbers, adverbs, determiners, prepositions, adjectives, and verbs. Implications, limitations, and further research are discussed.

Augmentative and alternative communication for Aboriginal Australians: Developing core vocabulary for Yolŋu speakers

Yolŋu, Aboriginal people from Arnhem Land, Australia are at risk of Machado-Joseph disease, with progressive loss of speech. Yolŋu are interested in developing augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems in their own languages. This research aimed to develop a culturally responsive process to explore and create a core vocabulary word list for Yolŋu adults living with the disease for inclusion in AAC system prototypes. A list of 243 Yolŋu words and morphemes was created. In this highly collaborative, mixed methods, participatory action research, Balanda (the Yolŋu word for non-Aboriginal people) and Yolŋu researchers conducted cycles of transcription and analysis of a language sample, with oral group discussions to identify which words to include, omit, or add, based on Yolŋu perceptions of the structure and use of their languages. A Yolŋu metaphor, Gulaka-buma ("Harvesting yams"), was identified by Yolŋu researchers to represent and share the research process and findings. Three key themes were identified that summarize the main cultural and linguistic considerations related to changes made to the core vocabulary. Study findings emphasized the role of language as an expression of culture and identity for Indigenous peoples and the importance of considering cultural and linguistic factors in selecting vocabulary for AAC systems.

An early Spanish vocabulary for children who use AAC: developmental and linguistic considerations

For children with complex communication needs in the early stages of language development, access to appropriate vocabulary provides a means for social interaction and participation, and the foundation for the acquisition of grammar and other language related skills. While numerous resources are available to support decision making for speakers of English, there is a pressing need to rapidly expand such resources for other languages. Spanish is the official language in 20 countries, and in other countries (e.g., United States) Spanish-speaking communities represent a substantial proportion of the population. The aim of this study was to produce a developmentally-relevant word list for use by Spanish-speaking children in the early stages of language development. The list was developed from an analysis of overlap between published and validated lists of words produced by young Spanish speaking children with typical development. The list includes a wide range of word classes and semantic categories and is proposed as a tool to assist professionals, families and software developers in the process of selecting an initial lexicon for children who require AAC and are learning Spanish. Implications of our findings for vocabulary selection and future research directions are discussed.

The core vocabulary of South African Afrikaans-speaking Grade R learners without disabilities

Background

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) can enable individuals with little or no functional speech to communicate functionally in a variety of communication contexts. AAC systems for individuals who are not (yet) fully literate often require that the vocabulary for the system be preselected. By including the most commonly- and most frequently-used words (core vocabulary) in an AAC system, access to novel utterance generation can arguably be facilitated. At present, no Afrikaans core vocabulary list based on children’s speech samples exists.

Objectives

This study aimed to identify the most frequently- and commonly-used words of South African Afrikaans-speaking Grade R learners without disabilities.

Method

Spontaneous speech samples were collected from 12 Afrikaans-speaking Grade R learners during regular preschool activities. Samples were transcribed and analysed to determine the number of different words used, the frequency with which each word was used, as well as the commonality of word use across the 12 participants.

Results

A total of 239 words met the criteria for inclusion in the core vocabulary (words used with a frequency of more than 0.05% in the sample, and used by at least half of the participants). These words accounted for 79.4% of words used in the entire speech sample.

Conclusion

The established core vocabulary consists of a relatively small set of words that was found to represent a large proportion of speech. AAC team members may consider including these words on Afrikaans AAC systems that are intended to give access to a measure of novel utterance generation.