Semantic Cueing and Lexical Retrieval
Keywords:
semantic cues, lexical retrieval, prompts, vocabulary, childrenAbstract
Semantic cueing has been used by speech and language therapists, as a facilitatory method to stimulate word recall, in young children as well as adults having speech and language disorders, of neurogenic origin and otherwise. The therapist provides relevant and meaningful contextual information about the category of the word (fruits), or its attributes (red fruit, a red fruit that you cut with a knife before eating) or any other features (grows on a tree), as a prompt to recall the target word (apple). In children having language disorder (DLD), or adults with aphasia having word-finding difficulties, who have trouble accessing the complex neural network where concepts and experiences are stored, this technique helps organize the stored mental lexicon, for word retrieval.
Research supports semantic cueing as an effective technique for accuracy in word recall in comparison with phonological cues. Though efficacy of semantic cueing is dependent upon the type and severity of the language impairment, it is known to improve linguistic skills and communication in pediatric and adult population. Cueing can be very effective for vocabulary development in bi/multilingual children. Semantic Feature Analysis supports cueing as a method that reactivates weakened lexical-semantic neural connections, post brain-injury.
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