The development of formal word definitions in bilingual junior high school students: A study of a teaching intervention

Θαλασσογραφία, 50Χ60,ελαιογραφία, Μαρία Τσιβά, 2015
PDF (ελληνικά)
Published: Mar 17, 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/hjre.25863
Keywords:
formal word definitions teaching intervention bilingualism high school students
Ιφιγένεια Δόση
Δημοκρίτειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θράκης
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4911-2049
Abstract

The aim of the present study is to examine the impact of a teaching intervention on the development of formal word definitions in junior high school students taking into account specific grammatical categories (nouns, verbs and adjectives). Previous studies have shown that the enhancement of word definitional skills and the use of formal definitions are directly related to vocabulary organization and the development of metalinguistic abilities. Formal definitions also have a positive impact on the development of literacy, and the overall school success. However, the development of definitional skills is also affected by other factors, such as the grammatical category of the word (noun, verb, adjective). Thus, nouns are defined better than verbs and adjectives. Education and, mainly, targeted teaching interventions play a key role in the improvement of definitional skills. The aforementioned aspects are under-investigated in bilingual students. The present study addressing this gap investigates the effect of a teaching intervention in 20 bilingual Greek-Albanian junior high school students. The study uses the quasi-experimental research design, pre-testing and post-testing methodology in two study groups. Half of the participants attended a three-month intervention (experimental group), while the other half did not join the intervention program (control group). Both groups were examined on their definitional skills (definitions of nouns, verbs and adjectives) before and after the intervention, in order to assess the possible positive effects of the intervention. The intervention aimed to practice the definitional skills in nouns, verbs and adjectives in all four language skills (comprehension and production of oral and written language). The results showed that the two groups did not differ in their performance in the pre-tests. However, after the intervention, the experimental group noted significant differences compared to the control group, mostly in the definition of nouns. The research outcomes reveal the crucial positive effect of targeted teaching interventions in the development of definitional abilities of bilingual speakers.

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Author Biography
Ιφιγένεια Δόση, Δημοκρίτειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θράκης
Μεταδιδακτορική Ερευνήτρια; Δημοκρίτειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θράκης; Τμήμα Ελληνικής Φιλολογίας
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