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Understanding of idiomatic expressions in context in skilled and less skilled comprehenders: online processing and interpretation
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 00:22 authored by Jane OakhillJane Oakhill, Kate Cain, Barbara NesiThis article reports a study in which good and poor comprehenders (in 2 age groups: 8- and 10-year-olds) read short passages containing phrases that could be interpreted as idiomatic or not, depending on the context. Familiarity was manipulated by including real (English) idioms and novel (translations of Italian) idioms. Reading times for the target phrases were measured and the children’s understanding of the target expressions was assessed. The older children and better comprehenders were more likely to interpret idiomatic phrases correctly. In particular, there was an interaction between age and meaning condition: The younger children were less able to choose an appropriate interpretation of the figurative expressions. In general, children spent relatively more time reading the idiomatic expressions than the literal ones, with the exception of less skilled comprehenders when presented with novel (Italian) idioms. They seemed not to appreciate that these expressions needed any particular effort for interpretation.
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Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
Scientific Studies of ReadingISSN
1088-8438Publisher
Taylor & FrancisExternal DOI
Issue
2Volume
20Page range
124-139Department affiliated with
- Psychology Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2016-02-22First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2016-02-22Usage metrics
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