Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 1992. / A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), University of Hong Kong, April 30, 1992. Xerox copy. Also available in print.

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 1993. / "A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, April 30, 1993." Also available in print.

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / "A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, April 29, 1996." Also available in print.

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / "A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, April 30, 1997." Also available in print.

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / "A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, April 30, 1997." Also available in print.

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / "A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, May 14, 1999." Also available in print.

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 33-41).

In 2 experiments, we taught 120 3-year-olds and 120 adults novel words for unfamiliar solid objects or perceptually similar nonsolid substances described as belonging either to the toy domain or the food domain. In a forced-choice task, participants extended the novel words to one of two test items: a same-shape test item (i.e., one that shared a common shape with the standard but differed in colour, texture, or smell) or a same-substance test item (i.e., one that shared a common colour, texture, and smell with the standard but differed in shape). Participants made more same-shape choices in the solid than in the nonsolid conditions. This tendency varied depending on whether the same-shape item differed from the standard in colour, texture, or smell. Participants also made more same-shape choices for items described as toys than for the same items described as food. This tendency was consistent regardless of whether the same-shape item differed from the standard in colour, texture, or smell. The findings confirm previous reports that children's word extensions are affected by the solidity of the referent. They also reveal that these extensions are guided by information about the referent's conceptual domain. Finally, these results provide the first evidence that these extensions are influenced by the smell, texture, and colour of the referent. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

Metalinguistic sentience refers to the conscious or unconscious apprehension of, sensitivity to, and attention to language as something with form and function that can be manipulated. This includes, but is not restricted to, conscious or unconscious apprehension of, sensitivity to, and attention to the following aspects of language and literacy: pragmatics, syntactics, semantics, phonology, orthography, morphology, figurative, metalanguage, print "carries" meaning, print conventions, book conventions, text conventions, referent/label arbitrariness, purposes of literacy, and abilities. These aspects of language and literacy are part of a morphological model developed by the author for classifying the evidence provided by children of their metalinguistic sentience. The two other faces of the model, displayed as a cube, depict (1) Literacy Acguisition and Literacy Learning and (2) four Prompt States: Self-, Child-, Adult-, Text. This ethnographic study of nine verbally gifted kindergarten and first grade children was conducted with a three-fold purpose: to explore whether young verbally gifted children's metalinguistic sentience coincided with their cognitive ability, to explore whether young verbally gifted children's metalinguistic sentience influenced their literacy acquisition and literacy learning, and to explore whether young verbally gifted children's literacy acquisition and literacy learning enhanced their metalinguistic sentience. The study took place during a full school year, while the author was a participant observer in the informants' classrooms. The evidence from the research indicated that the nine verbally gifted children who served as the informants for the study had a lower threshold for metalinguistic sentience than did their agemates. This lower threshold allowed them to acquire and learn literacy more easily and more efficiently.

Various researchers have viewed metalinguistics as the ability to consciously reflect upon language (Van Kleeck 1984a; Franklin 1979; Cazden 1975; Dale 1976). Prior to schooling, children use language as a means of functional communication through developing an interaction with the environment. They are aware of the content of their messages but not the language they are using to communicate their ideas. The emergence of language is developed primarily through concrete operations according to Van Kleeck (1984a). However, Allan (1982) states that when children enter school and begin to read, metalinguistics is emphasized and the language evolves from an unconscious, experimental use to a conscious, metalinguistic use. There is a growing interest among researchers in the study of metalinguistics. Smith and Flusberg (1982) employed judgment tasks to look at how the child attends to certain properties of language. This behavior is particularly important when studying the semantic, syntactic and pragmatic development of children.